The Founder
by gemroses
Summary: The shock of a sudden change in appearance tears a hole in the fabric of time, sending Harry back to 998 A.D. Upon discovering only 3 of the 4 Founders, Harry accidentally takes on the role of the 4th Founder. Eventual MM Slash and Mpreg. More inside.
1. Prologue: Interrupted Routine

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_**Standard Disclaimers Apply**_

_**Pairing**: HP/OC also HP/DM later_

_**Summary**: HP/OC, HP/DM The shock of a sudden change in appearance tears a hole in the fabric of time, sending Harry back to 998 A.D. Upon discovering only 3 of the 4 Founders, Harry accidentally takes on the role of the 4th Founder._

_**Warning**: Creature Harry, Time travel, eventual Slash and Mpreg, _

_**Note**: Dual-author fic._

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**The Founder**

**Prologue**

_By gemroses_

Hogwarts had an air of undisturbed calm about itself on this early-Spring evening. The faint rustle of the trees from the Forbidden Forest could be heard if one listened for it closely enough. High up on the seventh floor, in one of the castle's many towers, the Gryffindor common room appeared to be deserted. The only noise there that was to be heard was that of the large open fireplace, dimmed now to embers, gently warming the room around the ancient arch of stone, black with the charcoal of tens of years of fires.

On closer inspection, the room was not as empty as it would have first appeared. One lone figure sat in the comfortable leather armchair nearest to the hearth. His messy head of hair, blacker even than the charred stones that warmed him, was rested lightly against the side of the chair, his eyes remained closed even as the parchment he had been holding slid from his grasp and onto the floor. The parchment, both wrapped in scrolls and opened, had become strewn across the floor, presumably having also slipped from the boy's grasp. They appeared to have several versions of an essay titled "Why I Will Not Mix Bat Wings with Dragon Blood" and a brightly coloured revision timetable with different handwriting to that of the essays.

Harry Potter slept softly in the Gryffindor common room. Ron and Hermione, as well as the other occupants of the same House, and many of the other students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, had returned home for the Easter holiday. The small boy of 15 would be alone for the next two weeks, not that he minded, of course. Ron and Hermione were indeed his friends, but sometimes their constant presence could become a little overwhelming for the boy who, for the best part of 11 years, had been ignored. A two week break would be somewhat relished.

The peace in the common room was broken as Harry awoke with a start and fell from the chair, onto his knees. A sharp pain shot through his head. So deep, in fact, that it seemed to pierce the very core of his mind. Gritting his teeth, he remained as still as he was able, in an attempt to ride out the waves of pain and nausea that was brought with them. Finally his torment subsided, and he gathered up his scattered mess of parchment, intent on returning to his dorm where he could, with any luck, continue to sleep peacefully as he had been. A quickly cast Tempus charm informed his that it was 7 minutes past midnight and, without further pause, he trudged his way up the staircase and collapsed on to his bed and into a dreamless, restful sleep.

The next morning found Harry entangled in his red and gold sheets. After a few long minutes of struggling, he broke free with a triumphant cry. He sat up and rubbed his eyes clear of sleep before rising from the bed and making his way to the bathroom. Harry strolled into the other room at a regal pace. Hurrying seemed beyond him, and there was no need to rush anywhere, as there was no outstanding homework and no lessons. Stripping out of his pyjamas, he stepped into the shower and turned it on. The water was a perfect temperature before it even hit his skin, and Harry relished the fact that he was a part of this magical world.

After his shower, Harry returned to the dorm rooms and pulled on some faded blue jeans and a deep green t-shirt before re-shrinking his trunk and pocketing it. This had become a habit of his - to keep all of his belongings on him - since Lord Voldemort's first attack against him. Just as he was preparing to leave for the common room, Harry remembered that he had yet to brush his teeth, and so returned to the bathroom once more. He mechanically applied the toothpaste and looked up to face his reflection in the mirror only to drop both toothbrush and toothpaste, for what he saw in his reflection was not the face that had been familiar to him for the past 15 years. What he saw was a foreign face. A face with high cheek bones, pointed ears and... were they FANGS?! Another change that he failed to notice until shortly after this new appearance, was that his glasses still lay on the shelf in front of him, yet he could still see. Harry took one last look at his reflection before darkness seeped into his vision and, a few seconds later, he was falling.

Harry didn't notice the cracks of raw, untamed magic that snapped around him. He didn't see the tear that appeared in the floor behind him. All he could do was feel his body fall through darkness inside darkness.

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_**End Note: **Chapter 1 will hopefully be ready by Sunday 15th April, so look forward to it!_

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	2. Stranger

_**Standard Disclaimers Apply**_

_**Pairing**: HP/OC also HP/DM later_

_**Summary**: HP/OC, HP/DM The shock of a sudden change in appearance tears a hole in the fabric of time, sending Harry back to 998 A.D. Upon discovering only 3 of the 4 Founders, Harry accidentally takes on the role of the 4th Founder._

_**Warning**: Creature Harry, Time travel, eventual Slash and Mpreg. _

_**Note**: Dual-author fic. Sorry for the wait! We had a problem with the timetabling and writing it up took longer than we had anticipated. Hope you like Chapter One, here it is._

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**The Founder**

**Chapter One  
**

_By gemroses_

The darkness, however inviting it was, was beginning to get bothersome. The boring black scape, with no shadows and no lights, offered him nothing anymore. He mentally tried to push it back while searching for the thread that would allow him to reach consciousness and the real world.

The first thing he became aware of as he came to was the feeling of pain. The feeling that followed pain was warmth. As his other senses returned Harry knew he could hear a fire crackling, someone shuffling around and something bubbling that didn't smell particularly nice.

Harry opened his eyes and found himself looking straight up into a forest canopy. The trees that blocked out the sky were very tall and seemed to lack branches till about half way up their almighty trunks. Still, Harry didn't remember being in a forest before he, he hesitated to say, fainted. Had he woken where he fell he'd be looking up at a wooden roof or, failing that, looking up at the familiar ceiling of the hospital wing with Pomfrey muttering nearby.

Harry lifted his torso slightly only to hiss in pain and fall backwards groaning. He heard a deep male laugh and then a face and shoulders came into view.

"Ciamar a tha sibh?" (1) Harry frowned at the words, they made little…okay he'd admit it, they made no sense what so ever. It sounded like Gobbledygook, but his ears felt funny and with the pounding of his heart, which he was sure had moved into his skull, he wasn't surprised that he hadn't heard or understood. He frowned.

"Ciamar a tha sibh?" The man repeated and Harry closed his eyes and tried to push away the pounding in his head. His need for the sounds to go and his ears to clear so he could understand seemed to push away any blockages in his ears and head. He felt a wave of air pass over him and what sounded like wind rushing past his ears dominated his hearing before silence.

Then the man spoke again.

"Are you okay?"

"Not really. I hurt… a lot." Harry emphasized trying to convey his seriousness with his eyes. The dark man chuckled and Harry noticed something he wouldn't have picked up on had the man not laughed.

"I am not surprised you are hurt. When one falls from the sky as you did, one cannot escape a little pain, though anyone falling from the sky as you did would be dead. You are very lucky. Now, your potions are nearly ready. I have healed your bones and given you something to help you make more blood."

Harry did not hesitate, he felt he could trust the man before him and so he drank from the goblet presented to his lips. He nearly threw up in disgust at the taste but instead finished whatever the concoction was and fell into a rather violent coughing fit.

"Yes, it does tend to have that effect on people. It helps though." The coughs slowly subsided, though by the time they had gone Harry felt like he had hacked up his throat.

"Thank you." He muttered, feeling the pain over his body disappear enough to allow him to sit up. Once upright, he took a good look over his carer.

The man looked young with his slick straight black hair, that fell loosely below his shoulders. Its length was enough that should the man let it fall in front of his shoulders it would end at the same point his beard ended. His beard was thin and it started around his top lip, around his mouth, and on his chin. He had no sideburns and was well groomed. He had very pale cheeks and hands though that was probably because of his vampirism – Harry had seen the fangs. The man had dark pink lips hiding pearly white teeth from view. His eyes were slightly sunken into his face and the beady black eyes seemed to see right through you.

Despite the lack of grey hair and wrinkles, the youthful face had an ancient feel about it. It was most likely the eyes that gave it away. Inside the black abyss was a glint that spoke of the years that he had seen. The phrase 'never judge a book by its cover' came to mind. If the man was to be a book then the cover was newly made and impeccably kept. The title, written on both the spine and the front cover would be on recent topics. The only thing on the outside to give away the true age of the book would be the yellowing, dog eared corners of the pages, the ones only just visible when the book was closed.

The man wore black everything. His boots, trousers, belt, shirt, cloak and hood were all black casting the man in more shadows despite the darkness the forest canopy provided especially with the way the man hunched forwards in a monkey-like fashion to shade himself more.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, wincing at the pain that even a little talking caused his throat.

"We are about one mile north of a hamlet called Hogsmeade."

"You said I fell from the sky?"

"Aye, that you did." The man nodded. "You landed only a few feet from where you now lie. You fell a great many feet. There were low clouds that day too; I could have sworn it was from them you fell."

"So where's Hogwarts?" Harry asked confusedly.

"I have never heard of it."

"But I was last at Hogwarts! In the dormitory bathroom." The man frowned in confusion.

"I have not heard of what you speak. Perhaps you are more ill than I first diagnosed. Lie back down, young sir." Harry didn't have much of a choice in the matter when the man put his hand flat against Harry's chest. Harry let out an irritated sigh as the man started checking for a temperature or any head injury he had missed previously.

"You said there were low clouds the day I arrived…"

"Yes…"

"What day was that?"

"That was five suns ago and the sun shall be setting soon on our sixth day of company." Harry nodded in understanding and went to say something further, when he yawned. He covered his mouth with his hand after a moment but something made the man's eyes widen.

"Has nobody come looking for me?" Harry finally asked after coming out of his yawn. The man shook his head.

"No, no-one comes in this forest if they can help it, you lose your way too easily and the trees are rarely helpful with all their wanderings. You have fangs also?" Harry frowned and reached a hand into his mouth to check. He felt the two lengthened incisors with a small point on them that was surprisingly sharp drawing blood from his fingertip. He winced and sucked to try and close the wound.

The sharp teeth however, feeling their presence threw Harry's mind back to before he woke, before the black. His reflection in the mirror. Withdrawing his finger from his mouth, screwing his face up at the taste of blood, he lifted both hands to his ears finding the point there.

"The last thing I remember was looking in my reflection and seeing these." He showed the man, not feeling the least embarrassed or worried in confiding in a stranger. "When I'd gone to bed they hadn't been there but when I'd woken up they had been. I was so shocked then everything went black."

"Hm. I've not heard of anything like that before. I've also never heard or seen something quite like yourself. Perhaps one parent was elven and the other was vampire?"

"No." Harry objected with a small shake of his head. "No both my parents were human. A wizard and a witch. I am human, or at least I used to be." Harry yawned, again covering his lips.

"Well, you are certainly a mystery." The yawn carried on still before subsiding and leaving Harry looking up with bleary eyes. "I suggest you sleep now, when you wake up next you can eat. Rest."

The man went to stand up and walk away, but Harry called him back. "Wait! Please, what is you name?"

"My name is Baron Dartagnan (2) Prince though my title of Baron has long since been removed from my name. However, for introductions sake, and for my pride, I am a Baron still. And you, young sir?"

"My name is Harry Potter." Harry yawned again and a great heaviness fell on his eyelids. After a few moments of blinking and hearing none of the words spilling from Dartagnan's lips, Harry allowed sleep to take him, idly wondering if he would be safe now he had revealed his identity to the Vampire Baron.

When Harry woke it was to the smell of food. He briefly wondered whether it had all been a dream but the smell of trees, the forest and the stench of something simmering that was most likely a medical concoction confirmed the reality of the situation.

He opened his eyes but this time saw some tree roots rather than the canopy. Feeling his makeshift bed pressing against his hip bone and shoulder Harry tsked and rolled onto his back and saw a half moon peaking through the canopy lit both by the moon's light, star light and the dim light given by the crackling fire.

"It's not a dream then."

"No it isn't a dream. How do you feel?"

"Okay I guess." He replied sitting up and looking over to Dartagnan who was stoking the fire and stirring what looked like soup. Harry pushed himself to standing and slowly made his way over to his carer.

"You've slept through the night, dawn should be here soon. Here you need food. It's not much but that is because my cooking skills are sadly lacking. Living decades on animal blood does that to you."

"Hm I guess." Harry took the bowl of liquid and saw that it was mostly water with a few leaves in there. "What is it?"

"Nettle soup. I boiled the nettles so there was no sting left so don't worry. I've heard it doesn't taste too bad. Have some, if anything it will fill your stomach."

Harry scrunched his nose up, took a deep breath and shut his eyes before he brought the bowl up to his lips, as there was no spoon provided, and drank down the soup. It didn't taste of much but at least Dartagnan was right and it did fill his stomach.

"I've located a stream not far from here large enough for someone to bathe. When the air warms it would be a good idea to wash. I have also retrieved you some clothes to replace these…" Dartagnan sneered slightly as he looked over Harry's clothing "…garments."

Harry nodded but said he'd wash now if Dartagnan would retrieve his change of clothes for him. It was then that Harry got another shock and his mind provided him a question to which the answer would both help Harry understand what was going on and baffle him at the same time.

In his hands Dartagnan held a chemise made out of a white material, some boots, a black folded garment that would tie around the waist while it wrapped around and up between his legs. He also held some, what looked to Harry like, tights in white and a black cloak with a plain black pin to hold it in place.

"Uh Dartagnan?" Harry asked not reaching out to take the clothes.

"Yes?"

"What date is it?" Dartagnan looked startled by the question and from the suddenly calculating expression on his face was, most likely, mentally questioning Harry's sanity.

"The exact date I am unsure of but spring is turning to summer the year of the muggle Lord 998A.D."

Harry began spluttering and backed away from Dartagnan.

"B-b-but… Time travel is impossible!"

"What drivel are you spouting?" Dartagnan scowled.

"It's not drivel! Honestly Dartagnan! I was born in 1981… Time travel would also explain how I fell from the sky. I was in the tower over seven storeys high. It would also explain how you haven't heard of Hogwarts because it hasn't been built yet… Can't remember when it's built, but still."

"Maybe I should have left you for dead. If I hadn't been in a good mood and sensed your heartbeat. Still, I can rectify the situation…" Dartagnan made to advance but Harry, recognising what Dartagnan was suggesting backed away with panic bubbling through him. The panic-induced adrenaline rush did in fact prove to be useful in the end though. With the energy provided, spurring Harry's mind to work double speed, he came up with an idea and a way to turn the situation around.

"Wait!" Harry whipped out his wand that, conveniently enough, was still in his wand holder on his forearm. With the 'Solaris' charm on the tip his tongue. "I can prove it. I have books with dates on, labelled pictures and other things."

"You brought nothing with you. I find your words very hard to believe." Harry took a large step backwards as the vampire took another step forwards.

"Accio trunk! Finite Incantatum!" Harry commanded and the trunk flew from his pocket and towards his hand. Before it reached his hand, however, Harry moved his concentration, effectively cancelling the spell, and cast the spell to remove the shrinking charm.

Dartagnan was stunned into inaction at the very sudden appearance of the strange looking belongings trunk. He'd never heard of those spells before, nor seen magic work like that and he'd been a wizard before he was a vampire.

"What was that?"

"I will tell you if you promise not to harm me while I dig around in there." Harry pointed to his trunk.

"Very well."

"Good." Harry pocketed his wand for a moment and unlocked his trunk shoving the lid hard so that the lid fell backwards and the joints creaked at being forced to allow extra movement. Harry dug around through his belongings and found several books, having to move his spare wash kit and book bag out of the way first in order to get to them.

"Here, you can read can't you?" Harry handed it to Dartagnan, who looked over the cover of it with an astonished look on his face.

"I can read, aye. But this language is foreign to me"

"What do you mean? You cannot read the language you speak?"

"I do not speak this language. I speak Gaelic and Celtic both of whose languages are written with runes."

"I don't understand. How is it that I can understand and talk to you?" Dartagnan considered this for a while, his thumb idly playing with the pages of the book.

"I believe that is another mystery, one I am sure we will find an answer to. In the meantime, let us just say that magic made it so." Dartagnan sighed and handed the book back to Harry. "I believe you speak the truth. I may be unable to read the words here, but I can understand the numbers and your magical display is not like wizards nowadays are capable of."

"If I can speak like you, can I perhaps read the language too?"

"That will be a good test, however save it for a while. First a wash and since you are here, you are to dress appropriately." Dartagnan pointed to the clothes he had recently discarded to the floor during the argument. Harry groaned at the clothes comment but was happy enough to wash. He was just thankful that he had two sets of wash kits with a toothbrush, flannel, towel, and numerous toothpaste packets, shampoos, conditioners, soaps and colognes in each set.

After a complete wash, by the end of which Harry felt completely refreshed despite the cold water, he was taught the appropriate way men dressed in these times. Harry had received some vicious, as well as confused, expressions from Dartagnan when he'd commented that he felt like a girl having to wear a dress, in reference to the chemise that fell to just above his knees, and the tights, to which the only alternative to wearing were stockings that only served to make Harry equally indignant as the tights had.

Finally dressed however, Harry looked like the son of a noble except for him displaying no wealth via jewels, uncut stones or furs on his clothes and the distinct lack of jewellery. Dartagnan had informed him that he'd need to acquire some of the aforementioned things, in order to be taken seriously and in order to stay safe.

Dartagnan and Harry spent weeks in each other's company, each learning about the other and to read, write and how one should act in each time. Between Dartagnan teaching Harry runes and customs and Harry returning the favour by teaching Dartagnan to read write and speak English they both learned about each other.

Harry learnt about Dartagnan's especially long life and how the man became a vampire as well as a potion's Master. Harry had discovered the latter when Dartagnan demanded that he translate the potions book for him and teach him to read with the book.

Apparently, because of his obsession with the concoctions, and art of concocting, Dartagnan had half a mind to open a store to sell all the vital ingredients and his recipes, though he had decided that being open at night only would not be good for business. That and selling recipes to a community who couldn't read wouldn't be beneficial either. Still, Harry took notes on his potions and even discovered that a few of the potions that were in Harry's potions book had been invented by a man called Dartagnan Prince.

Dartagnan, as well as teaching Harry the native languages, taught Harry Latin both written and spoken. It surprised Harry what a quick study he was, and Dartagnan wasn't slow either.

By the end of the few weeks in each other's company Dartagnan admitted that he was needed south in London, and that it was family business. While their relationship was the closest to father-son either of them had ever experienced, Dartagnan knew he couldn't stay in Harry's company in London.

It was decided, quite peacefully, that Harry and Dartagnan would part ways once in London. However Dartagnan had forced them both to shop for new supplies for both of them, more importantly getting Dartagnan a trunk and getting them both new clothes. The older man insisted he paid though and when Harry complained Dartagnan said Harry could repay him by teaching him the spell to shrink and resize the trunk.

A few days later the pair parted ways with Dartagnan assuring Harry he could find him again after his business was taken care off. Harry was not certain he could manage a good few weeks on his own in this foreign place but left his stand-in father and mentor.

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**NOTES**

_(1) Means 'How are you?' Formal Scottish Gaelic (according to Wikipedia)_

_(2) Dartagnan – said DAR-TAN-EE-ON_


	3. Sealing His Fate

_**Standard Disclaimers Apply**_

_**Pairing**__: HP/OC also HP/DM later_

_**Summary**__: HP/OC, HP/DM The shock of a sudden change in appearance tears a hole in the fabric of time, sending Harry back to 998 A.D. Upon discovering only 3 of the 4 Founders, Harry accidentally takes on the role of the 4th Founder._

_**Warning**__: Creature Harry, Time travel, eventual Slash and Mpreg, _

_**Note**__: Dual-author fic._

**The Founder**

**Chapter 2 – Sealing his fate**.

Since Dartagnan's departure Harry had been wandering around for days, through villages and towns, fields and forests. He had found rooms at various Inns and taverns at the end of everyday, though occasionally he did have to rough it under the stars. The time he'd spent in town was taken up with research and shopping. He'd discovered that once piece of gold could buy a house, one piece of silver could buy one outfit and one piece of bronze could buy bread. So, by his reasoning, his bag of roughly 5000gold could buy him part of the country, or a very large castle and decorate it.

Having spoken very little Harry had perfected his spying skills and had learned a lot through listening from the shadows. He was up to date with the happenings of the times, both Wizarding and muggle. He was well versed in the religion of the God fearing people and also the heavy discriminations written in the Latin Bible text. He had donated one piece of gold to some monks for further Latin tuition and to verse him in the teachings of their Lord.

After staying with the monks for about two weeks Harry had moved on this time heading towards London. He missed his home comforts and needed new, richer and lordlier attire. He didn't much like being pushed or walked over by the nobles because of his peasant garb and figured that even with rich attire he could blend in nicely and make acquaintances everywhere.

In London Harry found his way to Diagon alley and thanked any deity there was that the alley had been built.

He was eyed suspiciously as he walked down the newly pebbled road. Ollivander's was, surprisingly, in the same place though it was the only shop there. Around it was surrounded by houses which witches and wizards stood outside of talking with neighbours. Though besides friends talking on the street there was nothing else to suggest that many people came into the alley.

It wasn't until Harry was walking down a small alley way that lead into what would become Knockturn alley that he saw what resembled Diagon Alley in his time. Shops with customers buzzing about them were on each side of the road. People were bartering for goods on the street and on the other side of the windows. Magical animals and non-magical animals alike were in cages out side of the animal stores; beautifully carved ornaments and trinkets were on show out side of carpenters and jewellers. Harry supposed it was normal for once popular and safe areas to turn into wretched and dark places over time. Though Harry still made sure to be careful of thieves as he walked down the road.

Harry bought himself some robes and supplies, noticing how there was only one very small and worn down book shop that nobody seemed to enter, and when he found himself alone he unshrunk his trunk from his pocket and put his purchases inside. Once everything was put away Harry pulled out his new, and more importantly, warm cloak which he quickly slid on as the cold was really beginning to get to him. Still not happy with the temperature, Harry cast warming charms on it and grinned in delight at the warmth seeping into his body.

He stayed around the alley for a few more days before heading north once more. Travelling those great distances with his Firebolt and invisibility cloak made the long journey disappear. Harry reached his goal, Hogsmeade, just before dawn where he built a camp in the forest and got some much needed rest.

The sun was high in the sky by the time he rose and Harry groaned in irritation at the sun for being so bright. The air was still cold and crisp though despite the almost blinding sunlight. Getting up and dressed Harry put everything away and headed for Hogsmeade for something to eat not really wanting to have to hunt for anything.

On the way out of the forest Harry heard loud voiced and cheering. Quickly but silently (thanks to the silencing charm on his boots) Harry walked towards the direction hoping he wasn't about to see a stoning of a witch.

Harry came to the edge or a clearing and hid behind a tree. There in the clearing was a group of four young boys and one girl about 8 years of age levitating things and play fighting.

Angry, and with no little amount of fear gripping him, he stormed forwards with his magic crackling in the air.

"Just what tin God's name do you think you are doing?! You are lucky I am a wizard! Had I been a muggle I would have had you dragged centre stage and stoned! How could you be so FOOLISH to practise magic in the open?"

All the children cowered before Harry. The girl had tears of fear and shame burning tracks down her cheeks. The boys were looking at the floor subdued.

"Have you no sense? Do you hate life so much? Have you nothing to say for yourselves?" None spoke for a moment then one of the younger boys lifted his eyes.

"Please sir, we had no where else to practise. We only have congregation once every few weeks and we are lucky to have that as it is."

"Who are the meetings held by?"

"My Aunt Helga sir." Harry frowned.

"Helga who? Does she not have a last name?"

"Oh yes sir. Helga Hufflepuff, soon to be Hatchedore. She teaches at the congregation with her companions Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw." Harry frowned in confusion.

"What is the forth?" Harry asked. Where was Salazar Slytherin if he was not with the other three?

"There is no forth sir"

"Hm. Fine. Now I suggest you go. Find a safer place to practise next time. Life is short already; do not shorten it further by being seen by the muggles. Go!" The children hurried off.

As the children ran off, Harry drew his wand and cast a tracking spell on them. He followed them back to Hogsmeade to check where their normal location was. He dined in the hopes that before familiarising himself with the area.

A few nights later Harry followed the children to a church, placed there no doubt in order to make any muggles believe they were God fearing people. Slipping, completely unnoticed, into the church Harry found a seat. About 10 minutes later a man rose to the podium.

"My friends!" He called his brown eyes gazing around the hall from beneath whitening brown hair. "Ladies Rowena and Helga and Lord Godric are not here though I suggest you use your time appropriately and practise!"

Harry scowled in anger and in fear his bravery and dismay got the better of him though. Harry rose to his feet and tried to reign in his anger.

"Of all the places you choose a church to practise your gift? You gather on a non-holy day to practise, to dabble in the craft. This building isn't secure! A muggle could walk through those doors and run screaming back home whereupon hundreds will swarm Hogsmeade to condemn you all! Have you no sense of self preservation ? Have you o sense at all? Here is neither the time nor the place to draw wands!" Harry turned and let his eyes land on the children he's scolded before. "And neither is the forest."

"So it was you sir who stopped my children from an early grace?"

"Yes madam that was I. Though it should not be up to others to protect yours." He paused to let his rebuke have an affect before continuing and not allowing anyone else a chance to retort. "Have you no safe places inside which you can practise? This place is no safer than the forest."

"We haven't the skill or the time to find places to practise out magic." One of the men scowled stepping between Harry and the woman he's been talking to earlier.

"I find it hard to believe there are no schools to teach the children."

"There are no schools. No one has time between harvests and the like to even make one!" We none of us have the skills to teach either!

"You cannot use your magic either? What good is having a gift you can't use, can't control? It's no wonder muggles know of our kind." The crowd before him bristled at the harsh exclamation and glared with hatred in their eyes. It was, however, a rather angry woman with red hair that spoke up.

"And we are to live by your example then sir? For I see no difference in your behaviour than that of me and my kinsmen." Harry frowned at her, not understanding her words.

Still trying to work out what she was referring to Harry got distracted by a swirl of colour just past her shoulder. A haze of grey and emerald green mixed together in a confused swirl of colour becoming so mingled they faded out of existence leaving nothing to appear in its place.

Harry came to a rather abrupt realisation that this was his magic. He became aware that the air around him crackled and swirled with power. The air seemed charged with energy awaiting something, anything. The charged air seemed to provide energy to Harry too and those around him.

The freedom, sense of relief and unchained awe was not just because of the magic swirling around him, Harry mused. Those feelings were because of what came with the magic. Everything felt right, Harry realised, he felt right, whole and free. He felt beautiful.

As Harry fully realised his magic and himself he turned back to the woman who had spoken beck to him. He saw her cowering before a man obviously her husband. Harry smiled at her.

"Madam, you are right in regards to my behaviour. Had I realised my magic was delighting in the world perhaps I would have been more careful. As it is however I had not realised the true extent of my power. Now I am aware. Thanks to you pointing it out to me I can do something about it. The fact remains however that while I have both the knowledge and the power you severely lack the knowledge and control."

"I agree with you sir and that is precisely why my companions and I hold these meetings; to teach them."

Harry turned sharply to see who had spoken. The large oak doors inside the church were being pushed closed by two men servants and walking towards him were three nobles.

The male noble was a tall and imposing figure. If his height, a good six foot tall, didn't worry you then his posture and body certainly would. The broad shoulders lead down to a thick wall of muscular stomach, and most likely a muscular back too. The power that the body had was only added to by the air of magic literally radiating off him and bathing him in light.

The man's hair was blonde, that seemed to shine gold as a result of the red strands littered through the head of hair. The man had dark brown eyes set firmly below thick eyebrow. In the dark depths, the brown of mud after heavy rain, blazed an inner power equal, if not exceeding, the power of his body and magic. His eyes held his intelligence, fierceness and courage. His strong jaw was set and the muscles in his neck tightened occasionally adding to his fierce demeanour.

Dressed head to foot in deep reds the man attracted more attention to himself and his companions. He wore slightly muddy leather boots to his knees with his red trousers tucked in. The trousers were decorated with a leather belt with a gold buckle and the leather itself had rubies set periodically apart down the centre all the way around. His chemise was tucked neatly into his trousers and open slightly at the top displaying the mans collar bones and the top of his sternum. In the hot weather Harry really didn't blame the man. He was wearing a deep red shirt over his chemise though this was only done up half way up his torso giving lookers the impression he was wearing a waistcoat. Along the collar and down each edge of the front of his shirt were rubies and amber jewels set for decoration and to display wealth.

The mantle the man wore fell to his ankles and along the bottom it was decorated with grey squirrel fur to both weigh down the cloak and decorate it. The clasp that held the beautiful ruby red material about the man's shoulders was shaped like a griffin's foot. The gold clasp was engraved with scales and sharp claws and at the top of the clasp, along the top of the leg, were three rubies of equal size and shape.

Hanging by the man's side, tied to his leather belt, was a gold handled sword with more rubies but also other gems encrusting it. One of the man's hands rested on the hilt of his sword and light reflected off the three rings he wore on his strong fingers.

One of the ladies in the group, the one whom had not spoken, stood with a kind and welcoming smile on her face. The air around her was peaceful and calm, reflecting the emotions radiating off her. She was obviously the youngest of the small party and she was also the shortest, only reaching five foot in height. Her stature made her seem far more approachable than her male companion. She held herself like a young lady should however but despite her calm, submissive and obedient posture, from where she stood one step behind the man, even in her welcoming aura was strength and self-confidence. If she didn't agree with something you'd know but she knew how to 'appear in her place'.

As was the fashion of the time, available women wore their hair loose or styled two plats one on either side of their heads. This young woman had styled her obviously crinkly and wild orange hair into two very neat plats which were decorated throughout by pretty gems in light and dark blues that helped bring out the young woman's bright, twinkling blue eyes. Her face, and indeed her figure, showed she enjoyed her food and had a hearty appetite though she was not a large woman. Her softness, her plentiful bosom and wide hips, were in fact thought of as attractive and healthy. Men would no doubt see her as the perfect mother for their sons, though had this been the twentieth century she would have been thought of as podgy.

She wore a full length dress in an orange colour that looked more yellow than orange. Along the breast and stomach of the gown were beads and gems sown into the expensive material. The dress was tight around the woman's torso, most likely to show off the hour glass shape that the woman was helped to achieve by the bliaut's lacing at both front and sides.

The skirt, had the dress come in two parts, was much looser and added pounds onto what were probably normal sized hips and legs. The skirt billowed out slightly and created a wide circumference where it reached the floor in a circle. The yellow orange material had a black, hand-embroidered pattern sown into it. The pattern seemed to start abruptly and grow much as ivy climbs in sporadic movements never ending and yet having numerous dead ends. The pattern never reached the edge or top of the skirt. Where the pattern curled, swirled or created an incomplete circle jewels and uncut stones were placed adding more colour to the dress while simultaneously showing that this young woman had gold to spend on fine details.

The woman had a beautiful, though admittedly heavy, necklace on with the same coloured stones that decorated her hair in it. Bracelets rattled around her wrists occasionally clinking against other bracelets or the rings adjourning her fingers. Perhaps the nicest accessory the young woman was wearing however was the clip keeping the mantle around her. The clasp was black in colour but the maker had very delicately weaved gold around on the circular clasp. Again the pattern was sporadic in the quarter of the clasp but the pattern was the symmetrically, or mirrored, on every other quarter of the clasp. Around the edge of the clasp were light blue gems, each one separated by a white clear crystal. At the centre of the circle was an onyx stone edged with two thin stripes of gold that weaved inside and outside of the other.

The final member of the party was the woman who had spoken to Harry before and she was likely the oldest in the party. Standing a clean five foot six the woman seemed to stand taller in the way she held her back straight, shoulders erect and her nose pointed ever so slightly skyward. Her confident posture seemed to belittle everyone around her. Harry had no doubt this woman rebelled against her position in society and denied absolutely no-one of her opinion.

From the intelligence shining in those grey eyes, like a lighthouse shines it's light through the fog, her opinion was most likely supported by lots of evidence. In her eyes one could have no doubt that the woman liked everyone with good knowledge or those willing and committed to obtaining knowledge. She, her intelligence and posture, rebelled against the category others had placed her in. She was not a silent obedient and soft woman, someone to birth sons, raise families, keep house and keep her husband happy. She knew what she wanted, knew ways to get it and no man, husband or otherwise, was going to stop her from reaching her ambitions.

While you couldn't see what she had done with her long brown hair you knew she had done something to hold the dark strings from her face. Another rebellion against her category was that she didn't wear her veil, the one married women wore, over her hair. Her nearly clear white veil covered most of her hair though fell short of covering all of it by about a foot and her hair hung just below her lips loose now.

This woman also didn't seem too interested in decorating herself. Her dress was very plain, except for the beautiful but expensive fabric used to make it. She wore a white and purple dress with the white being seen through the deliberate breaks in the purple material. Again the dress was tighter around the torso though this woman only had a quarter of the breast size of her companion did. She did, however, have an hour glass shape and wide hips. The skirt of her dress hung straight down to the floor, almost completely flat against the fronts of her thighs. The dress created a narrow oval shape on the floor.

The only vanity on her person was a broach her only child, her son, had given her as a gift. She used the broach to hold her cloak around her bony shoulders. The broach was bronze, making a wonderful contrast against the purple of her cloak and on her dress. 5 even shaped amethyst crystals were inset into the broach, one at the point a star would have had on the circular broach. At the very centre of the broach was a large, dark and shimmering sapphire that, should people lay eyes upon it, would reveal that the woman was in fact well off.

"If what I've been told, by children scared to only speak the truth, your meetings are sparse and progress is obviously very slow for it seems that your pupils only practise at these meetings."

"We do the best we can under the circumstances" The woman retorted and Harry frowned at her cocking one eyebrow sarcastically.

"And what circumstances are those? Have you not tried to change them? This," Harry gestured around him at the church, "is hardly safe. There is noting protecting you here. By Merlin, you haven't even blocked the windows!"

"There is no where else large enough to hold good people built and neither are there any plans to build anywhere more suitable." The woman scowled angrily. The other two in her company also bristled and looked angry at what Harry was saying.

"Then why don't you all come together and build somewhere for you all that would be safe for your …meetings?"

"Because we have neither the money nor the resources and building a place would take years, many years, and that is time that not all of us can afford." Harry scowled hard and his magic crackled around him dangerously. His bright green eyes flashed and filled with power.

"It is quite simple really." He ground out through gritted teeth. "You all either find the time to work something out or you A: sentence our kind to hiding and praying muggles don't discover us or getting killed." Harry went to storm past the three and they stepped out of the way for him in awe, in fear and in shock at his reaction and his words. Harry was just reaching out for the door handle when a soft, yet clear, voice spoke. The voice, in comparison to the brunette's voice, was musical and not at all sharp.

"We had a mind to build a school, may haps you with your vehement words and ideals would be interested in aiding us with something that could possibly save our kind."

"Helga!" The man admonished the orange haired woman who kept her twinkling eyes trained on Harry who had slowly turned to face her as she'd spoken.

"A school?" Harry questioned before he could stop himself parroting the words. Helga nodded keeping her eyes locked onto Harry's/

"Aye, that is what I said. My companions and I have, through these meetings, been collecting donations in the hopes we can collect enough to higher help to build a school with security inside which our kind can be safe to learn, to practise and to grow. Your ideals, the ones you were spouting before anyone even knew of our arrival tell me you are the perfect candidate to help us."

Harry was beginning to get worried, if the fluttering in his stomach was anything to go by. His brain, however, was not responding or registering much besides the strange feeling in his stomach.

"You want me to help you?"

"Aye." Helga's companion nodded her head something similar shining in her eyes to that which shone in Helga's. "You have power, there's no doubt about that, and I can see it in your eyes that you have intelligence. You have determination too and bravery if you can stand before us and insult us all. It is clear to me what you should do."

Harry was viciously reminded of the sorting hat's words in his first and second years.

"Yes, Rowena has often claimed we needed a forth. The four elements, four with magic, four from different homes, lives and beliefs. She is rarely wrong. You can be our fourth." The man tapped his sword hilt at every new point in his list before bringing his eyes from the ceiling, where they had looked as he mused aloud, to meet Harry's eyes. "Be our forth. Teach with us, help us help others and fight with us to keep our people safe from the muggles. Be our forth."

"Will you help us?" Helga asked looking with imploring eyes at Harry.

"Will you be our forth? What is your name?"

Harry didn't hear the question. His mind was running a mile a minute trying to process what was being said.

"The forth?" He said softly a very confused frown on his face. If you were looking close enough you could see his eyes flickering from side to side as if he was skimming through texts. "…Salazar Slytherin…"

He hadn't realised he'd said it, hadn't even realised he was answering Rowena's question. He was busy trying to get his mind to catch up with events. By the time his mind had caught up however it was too late.

"Salazar Slytherin." The man echoed "Sounds foreign."

"So Salazar, will you help us?" Harry stared at her in shock before the seriousness caught up with him. They thought he was Salazar Slytherin, fourth founder of Hogwarts. Harry blinked as the realisation that perhaps there wasn't anyone called Salazar Slytherin perhaps without Harry Potter the fourth founder didn't exist.

He smiled at the opportunity to build the one place he ever thought of as a home. He squared his shoulders at the responsibility. He met Helga's eyes with determination blazing in his eyes.

"Yes I will help you."


	4. And In The Seventh Month

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_**Standard Disclaimers Apply**_

_**Pairing**__: HP/OC also HP/DM later_

_**Summary**__: HP/OC, HP/DM The shock of a sudden change in appearance tears a hole in the fabric of time, sending Harry back to 998 A.D. Upon discovering only 3 of the 4 Founders, Harry accidentally takes on the role of the 4th Founder._

_**Warning**__: Creature Harry, Time travel, eventual Slash and Mpreg, _

_**Note**__: Dual-author fic._

* * *

**The Founder**

**Chapter 3 - And In The Seventh Month the Founders Rested**

_By gemroses_

Harry, or Salazar as he was now to be called, hadn't enjoyed the meeting where Helga, Rowena and Godric taught the villagers. He had been annoyed throughout, half expecting muggles to discover them and because half the villagers didn't even have a correct hold on their wands, not to mention their wands were not made to the same high quality as his own was.

After the meeting Salazar had been asked to accompany the other founders to Godric's home where they'd be staying for a week. Salazar had thought, from their comments, that Godric didn't live too far away but he was grossly mistaken. He summoned his things to him and climbed in the carriage after the two ladies. It took them a horrible 4hour coach journey to get to Gryffindor Castle and the ride had made Salazar extremely travel sick. They'd even had to stop the carriage a few times where upon Salazar had launched himself out of the door and threw up onto the ground. He'd cleaned himself up afterwards of course but in his nauseated state he wasn't good company in the carriage.

Upon arrival to the castle Godric and his female companions sent Salazar straight to bed after instructing a servant to lead the way for Salazar. Upon entering the large room Salazar had walked over to his bed and literally collapsed onto it swearing he would never travel that way again.

The following morning Salazar woke up to bright rays of sunshine pouring through the window decorated with red curtains. Since Salazar hadn't closed the windows the previous night he supposed that it was all his fault that the light had woken him up. He rolled himself out of bed, grimacing at the animal skins that he'd been lead on. Stripping off his clothes he went over to the bathtub which was near the centre of the room. Next to it was a pot, which he assumed was his toilet. Not particularly amused with having to use the chamber pot Harry did his business and banished the mess. Then he cast a water spell on the bath, rather than calling a servant to fill it for him, and bathed.

After his bath he dressed quickly and exited his room. Once outside his rooms he was met with a man servant who extremely politely told him to follow. Salazar followed the man through the stone halls and down the stone stairway and through some more halls until they came to a dining room.

Inside the room Salazar saw a large oak table with chairs at regular intervals around it. At the head of the table was Godric Gryffindor while next to him were Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff.

"Ah, Salazar Slytherin I see you have awakened. Do take a seat and break this fast with us." Salazar, not knowing the customs for formal dining in this day and age, thanked Godric as politely as he could and moved to sit down next to Helga. Once sat he was served a plateful of food, a broth of some kind, and given some wine. Not liking the idea of drinking wine at breakfast he asked for plain water which he received only to find the water was anything but clean.

They ate in silence mostly but after they had all finished eating Helga started asking him questions to make small talk and break the silence. The questions seemed to go on forever and Salazar felt himself becoming flustered with trying to keep up with the questions fired as well as make his answers seem plausible. Eventually he was rescued though.

"To business then." Salazar nodded his head to Rowena's straight forwardness. He had seen her growing more and more impatient at Helga's small talk and to be honest he was rather relieved that she had the nerve to change the subject for he didn't want to upset the bright red head.

"I agree with Lady Ravenclaw."

"Very well." Helga said, her expression dimming a bit. Rowena ignored her and turned to Salazar.

"You were very adamant and fierce with your words yesterday so I believe you to be as anxious as I when it comes to learning. Tell me, are you still determined to build a school with us?"

"Definitely. It is not safe to practise magic the way everyone does. And last night they weren't even grasping the basics like holding their wands." Godric and Helga went in to defend their pupils but Rowena spoke across them quickly, ignoring the furious look Godric gave her.

"I quite agree. They have made bad habits. Education is the only way to change their ignorance though and practise is the only way to break their habits."

"And educating them is our department." Salazar said leaning back in his chair stress plainly on his features. He was frowning, mentally in conflict over the same issue but from several confusing view points.

"Exactly." Rowena smirked in a decidedly triumphant, if not a little smug. Salazar nodded again.

"Well it wouldn't be that hard to build a school would it?" Helga asked softly. Godric and the others looked at her urging her to continue. "We just have to construct a building with some rooms in we can use to practise."

"Yes, doesn't sound too hard." Godric agreed. "We could easily hire some trolls to do the construction work for us. With workers that cheep and strong we could have the school rooms built within a week. So how many class rooms should it have, one classroom for each of us?"

"Well that's all that would be needed isn't it? We can have our own group of people to instruct depending on who wants to learn what I suppose. Like for example Godric I'm sure you'd include sword fighting as well as spells. Naturally we will need to train the girls separately and in all matters concerning a woman. I will teach cooking and what have you, train the young ladies to be wives and act properly." Harry started spluttering at the way Helga said that and stared at her wide eyed.

"Wives?!" He asked still gaping. Helga frowned at him not understanding his shock. "You are going to train them to be wives?"

"Yes, it is a woman's place why should I not help train them? If we are to build a school we should not limit what we teach our pupils."

"Well yes I agree with teaching them as much as we can successfully teach but….what…how the hell do you train someone to be a wife?!"

"By training them to act with proper decorum! Teach them how to tend to the house, to the children and the garden. Teach them what spells to use to aid them in their every day task. Teach them how to take care of their husband."

"But that's…you want to take the girls and just teach them how to be all…pathetic!" Helga and Godric reared back stunned by Salazar's loud declaration. Salazar didn't seem to notice, he was still in shock and angry at what had been suggested. "You want to only teach them how to take care of the house? You aren't going to teach them anything else? No protective spells, no potions, no hexes?"

"Why should they learn spells used in duels?" Godric asked completely perplexed. "Women are no good fighting, they are weak and cowardly. Their place is in the house and in their husband's bed." Helga nodded her head fiercely.

"Yes I quiet agree! It is improper for a woman to fight. She is a nurturer of the home not a warrior." Harry stared at her before he scowled and leaned back in his chair crossing his arms over his chest.

"I cannot believe you put yourselves into such a lowly category. I personally have never believed someone below me in station or knowledge just because they were female! I had thought from the way you three keep each other company and fight to feed knowledge to the people that you were against such ridiculous prejudices. Fine, teach your students to be perfect little trophy wives with no character and no personality of their own. Teach them to be submissive and think they are only worthy enough to be used as a breeding mare to the highest bidder. I, on the other hand, will teach everyone, regardless of their gender, to fight, to protect, to brew and to cast."

"You cannot possibly be that idiotic to think a woman would manage to cast duelling spells!" Godric yelled at Salazar while Helga looked completely dismayed and horrified at the prospect of girls learning such dangerous, manly, subjects.

"I will teach them what ever I feel they need to be taught. From there we shall see whose students come out better people for it hmm?" Salazar sneered, suddenly feeling very much like the Slytherin's from his time. Godric was just about to pull his wand on Salazar when Rowena quickly interjected.

"We have not even built a school yet so there is no reason to be fighting over what shall be taught and to whom!" Salazar nodded his head to her words and she continued. "Now, we have plans to make in order for us to even build a school."

"Well as I recommended before," Helga said softly but refusing to look at Salazar, "a room for each one of us should be enough."

"Really, and where do you suggest we put those rooms hmm?" Salazar asked trying to keep his voice neutral. "Where should they be built? On a mountain? By the sea? No. A few rooms would not be sufficient. You have failed to consider where we shall live between the hours we teach our students and where they shall live between classes."

"They shall go home of course!" Godric countered since Helga was adamantly refusing to look at Salazar let alone speak to him now. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment and anger.

"Really? If you planned, as I thought you had when I joined your little group, to teach all those with magical capabilities then you are going to need more than a few rooms to train them! Some with magic live as far away as Exeter way down south and even further in some cases. I cannot really see them coming to our school rooms just to be taught and then return home in the evenings."

"Then they should find lodgings around the town where our rooms shall be placed." Rowena said. "And so should we."

"That is unacceptable. We would be uncomfortable in lodgings and nowhere I have seen has been hygienic either. Besides, from the way you speak you seem to believe we shall only be teaching them for a short amount of time."

"Well we will be." Godric argued.

"Magic is a complex subject and it cannot be learned in a few short weeks. It takes years to master for some people, others are lucky to manage it sufficiently in one year alone."

"I will have you know that I learned magic in only a few short weeks!" Helga said staring at Salazar finally. Salazar rolled his eyes.

"Yes but from what I can hear you've only learned how to take care for the house and those are easy spells I can assure you of that. A mere wave of your wand and you can clean up a lot of mess, you are hardly talking about complex magic. I'm going to assume you don't even know the magical creatures, the different plants and plant life around and how to shield a house from view, from muggles and from evil."

"You know how to do things like that? Shield a house from muggles? Make it so they can't see us?" Rowena asked looking and sounding completely astonished. Salazar blushed sheepishly.

"I cannot do that no but I have seen it done many a time. It takes power but it does in fact work brilliantly. No muggle could see the building and should they venture too close they'd feel the need to turn away, remember they had an appointment somewhere and leave. It was a brilliant thing, complex and powerful but so indescribably useful!"

"You are getting off track." Godric said. "Where would you suggest we build the school rooms then Salazar, since you seem to know everything." Salazar and Godric stared at each other trying to overpower the other with mere looks. Salazar finally looked away and looked to the ceiling as if the wood above his head would offer him a the way to construct his next sentence.

"Well I suggest we don't build rooms. I suggest we build a castle. A huge castle, hundreds of rooms, classrooms, a feast hall and everything! That way all of the teachers can have their own living space, each of our students can stay inside the castle where they will be safe to practise between classes while being comfortable and where we can watch over them. Also with a castle you have natural defences and should any muggles see the castle most of them would just turn away because of all the ranking in society. Besides, should any muggles come into the castle, like muggles with Lordships or what have you then they would need only see the feasting halls and some of the private rooms. We could then have rules in place that should a muggle stay with us at the castle then magic is only permitted within the safety of certain private areas.

"Also with a castle, seeing how you are used to all this…um…luxury and space," Salazar seemed uncertain on the words but carried on quickly, "then your own rooms could reflect your tastes and you can still be living comfortably."

Silence met his idea. Rowena seemed to be pondering it, her mind working out everything he said and coming up with different scenarios to everything. Godric seemed surprised by the idea, as if building a castle as a school was so far fetched an idea it was beyond his brains capacity to think about it. Helga just seemed baffled by it and Salazar, in his scorn, came to the conclusion that his idea had made her brain malfunction considering she seemed to resemble a fish somewhat in the way her mouth opened and closed slowly.

"A castle…I can understand how your suggestion would work Salazar," Rowena slowly pronounced in a soft, kind voice making Salazar wonder how he thought her cold before. "However, the time it would take, not to mention the money, is something we can't afford. While your idea has merit, you solved how we'd teach them and gave everyone comforts, there is no feasible way to build a castle as big as you are suggesting."

"Not to mention having commoners in a castle?! Unheard of! Utterly preposterous." Godric cried only to be ignored by Salazar who was looking at Rowena with a slightly pleading expression on his face.

"But I have the money! I have enough money. I can build a castle Lady Ravenclaw, honestly I can. I also have the time to. I have no other commitments and besides, didn't Lord Gryffindor say that trolls were cheap labour?" Rowena nodded slowly and Salazar sat up straighter. "Well I can pay them, watch over the castle being built and at the end of it we will have our school! It would work I promise you!"

"Salazar…" Rowena began slowly trying to find a way to let the young man down slowly from his idea. "To build a castle would cost around 200 gold pieces. I am a woman, there is no money I can call upon for my husband deals with the fortunes. Helga has no control over any money for she is awaiting her marriage. The only one with money on hand is you and Godric and Godric has only half the money needed while you…you cannot afford it. You have no title as your own. You have no station and from what you told Helga earlier you have no home either. I find it hard to believe you can afford to build a castle, pay for the workers and fit the castle when you sleep under the heavens."

"I quite agree. I've had enough of your nonsense, Slytherin." Godric sneered at Salazar who merely glanced at him before looking back to Rowena.

"Please, I can honestly. I have the money, let me prove it to you!"

"Your idiocy and impertinence to those above you is unbelievable! I, Godric Ambrose Gryffindor, challenge you Salazar Slytherin to a duel of honour!" Salazar sighed and went to decline but Godric pulled his sword. "To decline is to show your weakness, Slytherin! You claim to know all these incredible things but I am of the belief that all you say is merely hot air that carries no weight."

"Very well then Lord Gryffindor, since you are of such a belief it is only fair I show you otherwise!" Salazar stood and moved clear of the table before pulling out his wand. "What are your terms to this duel? Seconds?"

"No seconds. We duel right here, right now, Slytherin."

"And what happens if you win?"

"If I win then you will leave this castle, leave this place and never attempt to contact myself, Lady Ravenclaw or Lady Hufflepuff, soon to be Baroness Hatchedore!"

"Very well then, agreed. However, should I win you will help me with building this school and listen to anything I suggest." Salazar paused momentarily and pondered something. "Also, should I win then you will publicly acknowledge me as your superior magically. Understood?" Gryffindor snorted at the impossibility of him ever having to concede to those terms.

"Very well." Godric moved so they were facing each other and pulled his wand and his sword. Giving Salazar a grin Godric yelled to him before charging forwards. "Now we duel! PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"

"Protego." Harry said and flicked his wand. The body bind spell bounced off the powerful shield's resonance and Salazar quickly levelled his wand at Godric and whispered two spells in quick succession. "Expelliarmus. Wingardium Leviosa."

Godric's wand and sword flew to Salazar who caught it easily and Godric himself, who was still charging towards Salazar having not noticed both his sword and his wand were in Salazar's possession flew up into the air where Salazar held him effortlessly with the spell.

It took a few seconds but Godric suddenly realised that he was in the air looking down on his female companions who were still sat at the table and at Salazar who was looking up at him with a bored expression on his face. Helga and Rowena were staring at Salazar with amazement. Godric was a good duellist, he'd fought in two wars, one in the muggle and one in the magical world, and had come off the victor. People were scared of his power and Rowena, for all her knowledge, didn't know of a way to block the body bind spell from hitting it's target. Unless you dodged the spell, which not many people could do, then there was no way to shield yourself from it.

"How did you…" Godric started staring at the young man below him. Salazar looked up at him and smiled.

"I think I need to broaden your spell arson, Lord Gryffindor. Now, I won the duel and you will honour the agreement, won't you?"

"Yes." Godric said still in awe at what had happened. The body binding spell was the most powerful spell in his arson. How had that man, one no older than seventeen summers, managed to effortlessly avoid the spell without moving either.

Salazar let Godric down and they all sat at the table once more. Salazar knew he was blushing a famous red with the stares he was getting from his three companions so he quickly started speaking.

"I have in my possession over 1000 gold pieces which my parents left to me when they died. I have enough to build a castle. If I deal with expenses will you aid me in building it?"

"O-o-of course…"

The day after Godric and Salazar had duelled all four of them made plans for the castle with Rowena scribing what they were saying because Salazar, while he could write, was far too involved with speaking his ideas than writing them all down. They'd come to the conclusion that they needed a dungeon, three layers of dungeons, and several towers. Salazar couldn't remember the reasoning but he hadn't said no. In fact, he specifically remembered saying that he wanted the castle to be huge with lots of towers and thousands of rooms. No-one had argued, though they did look astonished.

Before they had called in the army of trolls to build the castle Rowena, Helga, Godric and Salazar had traipsed around trying to find places for the castle to go. Salazar had turned down ever place they suggested, finding faults with every place. He eventually got everybody back to Hogsmeade where he took them through the forest and up to the top of the hill there. HE told them that he'd wanted to build his castle right there. Godric and the others had immediately protested because of the trees and the lake not to mention how the ground wasn't flat. Salazar had persisted though and eventually the others had given in.

Godric had pulled his sword and was about to start chopping down the trees when he'd been stopped by an army of wood nymphs. To say everyone was surprised would have been an understatement. Salazar had been the first person to get his composure back though and, after getting Godric free from nymph punishment, had made an agreement with the nymphs that their trees would be moved out of the way instead. Part of the deal was that rules would be put in place making their trees and their forest forbidden to everyone and thus they would be protected. The trees had been moved then, the land flattened and the building had started. Occasionally some nymphs would come out and coax all the workers, trolls and the founders included, into a dance and celebration to lighten the mood.

So they'd built the castle. Salazar had, each night for three days, copied out the different layers of the marauders map. While it still showed the outlines of each room within he castle and everything there, didn't show anybody moving, probably because Hogwarts didn't exist now though it had at the time of the map's creation. The castle had been built from the blueprints Salazar had given to Rowena who gave them to the trolls who would build the castle. Trolls weren't stupid in 998A.D which came as a surprise to Salazar though he supposed evolution just didn't do them any favours over time.

The castle before Salazar was only based on the blueprints though. Salazar had made changes to one or two places, adding secret passages here and there and, one night in secret after the dungeon levels had been built, adding the Chamber of secrets. Only five trolls knew about it's existence and they were sworn to secrecy. So, there were two sets of blueprints now. One which stayed with Rowena and the new set which the trolls kept until the completion and then the trolls had happily handed over the prints to Salazar.

Six months had passed since that day and Salazar found himself looking fondly upon their newly finished school. He was exhausted, physically and magically. The last six months had been very stressful for him but seeing the castle, an exact replica of the one he lived in the future, brought such tremendous joy over him that he had to slide to the floor because his legs had become unsteady.

The number of levitation charms Salazar and the others used had taken it's toll on them and the transfiguration spells he'd used to change the shape of the rocks had bored him. He had, however, managed to teach a few of the villagers of Hogsmeade the spells and they helped.

Surprisingly for busy villagers, who supposedly had no time to spare, many of them had helped the construction and decoration of the school.

Godric Gryffindor had claimed one tower as his own with the entrance to it on the seventh floor. Salazar was amused to notice that the tower Godric had chosen was in fact the place where the Gryffindor common room and dorms were in the future. Rowena's rooms were the rooms that would later become the library, though considering the amount of shelves she'd commanded be put up for her it made no wonder that in the future they made those rooms into one big library. Helga had taken the north tower, claiming that from that height her Inner Eye worked better. When Salazar had heard that he had very quickly excused himself and when he found himself in private allowed all his hysterical laughter to flow freely.

Salazar himself had made his living space on the seventh floor. He made them give him a grand total of six rooms. One which he'd use for entertaining, Rowena had insisted upon him having a room solely for that purpose, one as a bathroom and one as his bedroom. Another room was his study while the final two rooms were spare rooms though you had to go through the spare rooms in order to get to his other rooms. Rowena, Godric and Helga thought him mad for that but he'd insisted he'd wanted it and he got it regardless of their opinions. Apparently with the spare rooms coming before the occupied rooms there was more security for him.

There was no room of requirement yet and Salazar didn't know when that had been built. There was everything else that had been at Hogwarts in 1998 though. The Great Hall was just as big and they had charmed the ceiling to look like the sky outside, an idea Rowena had got from something a nymph had remarked to her. Apparently the nymphs had claimed that rooms weren't nice for they shut out the sky, Rowena cast the spell and after that the nymphs enjoyed partying inside where there was a lack or rain and snow dampening the wizards and trolls moods.

"And in the seventh month the gods rested." Salazar commented as the other three founders came up besides him. Rowena laughed and smacked him lightly over his head for the comment while Godric let out a huge booming laugh. Helga gave a small giggle though Salazar merely spared her a smile before turning back to Rowena.

"But the muggle God created the world in seven days." Rowena offered.

"Yes well to me the castle is a world." Rowena rolled her eyes at him.

"Yes and you would have tried to have the castle built in a week too, you are a slave driver."

"Well what do you think? It's finally completed and isn't it worth all the fuss?"

"Yes it is, and it is marvellous!" Rowena smiled at him fondly. Salazar pushed himself up onto his feet and pulled Rowena into a hug. She tensed up immensely at the sudden, improper contact but Salazar didn't notice as he pulled away and turned back to the castle looking at it with a very fond smile.

"My home. Oh how I have missed you." Salazar whispered the last sentence and luckily nobody heard him.

"Back to your earlier comment, about the seventh month being for rest…" Helga said softly and the other founders turned to her questioningly. "Might I suggest we use the time to prepare ourselves and make preparations for us to teach other wizards and witches? We have a lot to do still."

"And Rowena said _I_ was a slave driver, Helga." Salazar commented lightly to the orange-haired woman. "But you are right. We have work to do and preparations to make. We have a school building now we need to make it into an actual school. We need our lessons to be planned and out students enrolled."

"Yes and how we are going to split the students into manageable groups. There are a lot of wizarding children out in the country and we couldn't possibly teach the lot in one of those small rooms." Godric said in reference to the rooms they had designated as the classrooms. All the rooms were on the first and ground floor around the main hall and ball rooms. All the accommodation was above it with the dungeon space designated as storage rooms.

"Why don't we split the students into groups then." Helga didn't make it a question.

"Yes, like houses within a house!" Rowena exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Salazar said in his slang which often got him into trouble with Rowena. "It would be like having clans within Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?!" Godric blanched, staring at Salazar. "By Merlin, what is Hogwarts?"

"The castle is Hogwarts." Salazar explained pointing to the castle.

"There is absolutely no way that the castle is being named Hogwarts! Where did you even come up with such a ridiculous name? No, I don't care, you are insane. You are not naming  
the castle Hogwarts!"

"It's my castle so I get to name it!" Salazar protested childishly.

"Forget the name of the castle for now!" Rowena interrupted quickly knowing better than to let those two continue arguing for it would probably end up in another duel, one which Godric would lose and then be in a mood about for days. "If we are having different groups within Hogwarts what are they called, how are they chosen, how many do we have and how do we tell the groups apart?"

"Well we are the Founders of the school." Helga said. "And since we are such it would make sense to name the different clans after us would it not and have each of us be in charge of our different groups? And we shall each teach our groups personally."

"Yes I like that idea. The Clan of _Gryffindor_!" Godric said pulling his sword dramatically. Salazar rolled his eyes at him.

"Very well." Rowena consented. "The clans will be called Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff."

"Certainly not!" Helga protested immediately. "I am to be Hatchedore not Hufflepuff!"

"Helga my dear you are not yet a Hatchedore, you are a Hufflepuff. You founded the school as a Hufflepuff thus the house in your honour will be called Hufflepuff and no it is not up for debate. Besides, it is an honour, you shall be known of for your name not the name of you husband."

"But…"

"Not up for debate my dear Helga." Salazar interrupted and then looked back at the castle with a grin. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Must we call it Hogwarts? It is such a fowl name!" Godric groaned and Salazar grinned cheekily at him.

"It's my castle."

"Gentlemen!" Rowena interrupted quickly. When they turned to look her she looked Godric in the eye. "If Salazar wants to call the castle he built Hogwarts then by all means let him." Rowena then turned to look at Salazar. "Must you act like a little boy? You are a man, now start acting like one."

"My dearest Rowena," Salazar said sweetly, "what you perceive to be a man is not what I perceive to be a man. Besides, where I am from I am not a man yet, I am still a boy. You people want children to grow up too fast."

"Might I ask how we shall distinguish our clan from each other's?" Rowena pondered that for a moment and Salazar let her, not wanting to suggest anything to start with.

"Since they are to be clans and the Scottish clans have different tartans to tell each other apart perhaps we should each have a tartan."

"Really? They would have to be very different from each other then and this means more money you realise." Godric informed Rowena.

"Yes but it is the best idea we have." Helga said. "Besides I like the idea. What colours and pattern should the tartans be?"

"Well what's your favourite colour Helga?" Salazar asked gently.

"Yellow. I like yellow best." Helga confessed blushing red making her hair clash horribly with her face.

"Well then, your clan colour should be yellow." Salazar decided.

"Yellow and something, we need a contrasting colour otherwise it wouldn't make a tartan." They all thought for a moment before Salazar remembered the contrasting colour in the future.

"What about black? Isn't that the colour of the brides?" When he received nods of confirmation he continued. "Well then Helga is to be a bride so her house colours should be yellow and black."

"And then white when I'm married." Helga nodded her accent.

"Helga, it would be symbolic of your heroic actions to create a school without your husband and before your marriage. It would be a testament to you. Besides, once your colours are made up into a tartan you aren't changing them. So, yellow and black or yellow and white it's your choice but you only get to choose once." Salazar knew he was being pushy but he absolutely detested how everything was about marriage for Helga and about her husband to be, who she hadn't actually met yet!

"Yellow and black then, since it is to be symbolic of our states when we created the school." Salazar grinned at Helga who was shocked at the warm response. She rarely saw Salazar act towards her with anything other than contempt.

"Right, that's Helga decided upon then. I would like red as mine, for that is the colour of bravery and courage."

"Red with what as your contrasting colour?" Rowena asked pulling out a piece of parchment and scratching the decisions onto the piece with her quill.

"Why not make it gold?" Salazar suggested with a teasing smirk. "Since Godric thinks of himself as the king lets give him red and gold then his house colours would symbolise courage and bravery along with wealth."

"I agree! It is perfect!" Godric exclaimed nodding his head in agreement. He never saw Salazar snicker about him. "And I suggest Silver for Salazar's house colour since he is so wealthy and silver symbolises purity."

"Purity?! You want me to have a house colour meaning purity?!" Salazar gawped at the man who smirked wickedly at him.

"I have yet to see you dirty Salazar, you act most like a girl in that sense." Salazar hissed at him and pulled his wand. Godric took a step back and laughed. "Merlin and as a house symbol you should have a snake for you sound much akin to one when you are mad!"

"House symbols too?! You are just making more work!" Rowena protested.

"Rowena, if the students have a symbol for which they work under then they will be proud of it and strive to be good for it, much like how fighting with your banner during war can lift the spirits of men. We shall each have a house symbol and I have decided Salazar's!"

"Then what should mine be for I can think of no animal that I suit." Helga asked and Salazar scowled.

"For your submissive behaviour and the way you like to hide away you can be a badger. A badger on yellow and black!"

"I will have you know that badgers are wonderful creatures, Salazar!" Helga protested and Salazar glared at her.

"Then you should have no problem with one symbolising your house then should you."

"Moving on!" Rowena cut in with an exasperated voice. To her, the other founders seemed to be acting the same way her son did when he was four and going through a horrible rebellion against absolutely everything.

"Rowena's colours should be purple I think, for I rarely see you out of the colour my dear lady." Godric offered Rowena before lowering himself too the ground to sit beside her.

"Purple is a dye which is hard and expensive to make. It would not do to have a tartan in that colour." Salazar smiled at Rowena's reply.

"Ever the practical one Rowena." He said. "How about blue then, it is close to purple in colour and it does match your eyes."

"Very well." Rowena wrote it down.

"And your contrast colour should be what?" Helga asked and the others thought for a moment. Salazar couldn't remember what the contrasting colour for Ravenclaw was in the future. They had scarves that were blue and white but there was no white on the shield just a large bronze eagle.

"I have an idea." He suggested slowly. "Since your name is Ravenclaw why not have a bird as your symbol but as you and your husband are not exactly amiable why not have another noble bird as your symbol. Like an eagle or something?"

"An eagle would be lovely, they are such wonderful birds."

"They are predators though which doesn't symbolise you at all."

"Don't be ridiculous Godric." Salazar protested. "Eagles don't just symbolise that! They symbolise grace in the air, they fly around looking down and analysing things. They are noble birds and I think it would suit Rowena very well indeed."

"It is decided then. Now my contrasting colour?" Rowena asked smiling at the thought of the majestic birds.

"Oh that's easy. Bronze, same colour as eagle feathers, not to mention your hair colour." Salazar suggested with a warm smile. Rowena beamed at him.

"Yes, I would like that very much."

"We're all sorted then, good thing too because I am so tired and smelly!" Salazar complained making to get up.

"What about Godric's symbol? And don't forget we only have one colour for you Salazar."

"I shall have a lion as my beast. It is a noble creature and a strong warrior. Not to mention it is half of my namesake!" Rowena nodded and wrote it down.

"You are so full of yourself Godric." Salazar told his elder making Godric roar at him to not insult him in such a way and that a man should boast about his accomplishments for how else were they supposed to show their authority over others without getting into a duel.

"Salazar's house colour then? What should that be? I do not think silver is good as a main colour, perhaps it would be better as a contrasting colour." Helga mused in a rare show of insight.

"Emerald green." Rowena suddenly said out of the blue. Everyone stared at her curiously. She blushed and looked down at the page. "Well green is the only colour not used up and it is the same colour as his eyes."

"You two seem to be commenting a lot about each other's eye colours." Helga said with a cautioning frown. Salazar shrugged oblivious to her meaning.

"I look up to Rowena, she reminds me of the girls and women from where I am from. She lets nobody tie her down and she knows what she wants in life. She is very much how I imagined my mother would have been like. I was told my mother stood up for what she believed in, fought against my father to get him to see the error in his ways before she would even consider marrying him. She also had a hot temper."

"Good and here I was suspecting something else." Salazar stared at Helga before scowling and grimacing.

"Ew! That is just…urgh Helga! Is that really all you think about? Marriage and men with their women? You have a narrow mind! I admire Rowena but never ever would I even consider thinking about her being anything more than a friend! Urgh! You are not to talk to me for the rest of the day! Ew!" Salazar turned towards the castle and headed towards it. "Sorry Rowena if I insulted you. Good evening everybody. I shall see you in the morning!"

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_**End Note: **__Hurm.. Nothing much to say on this one! If you're confused about anything that's happened so far, just ask us your question in a review and we'll do our best to answer it at the start of the next chapter! Until then, hope you enjoyed it! __**-e**_

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	5. Arguments, Kings and Friends

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_**Standard Disclaimers Apply**_

_**Pairing**__: OC/HP also DM/HP later_

_**Summary**__: HP/OC, HP/DM The shock of a sudden change in appearance tears a hole in the fabric of time, sending Harry back to 998 A.D. Upon discovering only 3 of the 4 Founders, Harry accidentally takes on the role of the 4th Founder._

_**Warning**__: Creature Harry, Time travel, eventual Slash and Mpreg, _

_**Note**__: Dual-author fic._

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**The Founder**

Chapter 5 – Arguments, Kings and Friends

_By gemroses_

They were all collected in the Great Hall of the castle around the large table Salazar had placed at the end of the hall. Above them, the enchanted ceiling showed the flurry of snow that was falling from the sky towards earth. The ground was already covered with six inches of the pure white flakes, but still the heavens insisted on delivering more to the blanketed earth.

The trees were bare, the lake was frozen and Salazar had been literally itching all day to run outside and frolic in the snow. He'd even decided he'd call upon the nymphs to rejoice with him and enjoy natures freezing winter. But no, Salazar had been denied that pleasure by the other founders who wanted to plot once more. Salazar had, naturally, rebelled against the idea. He'd argued with Godric, he'd glared at Rowena and he'd ignored Helga but all to no avail and he was stuck making yet more plans. His temper was indescribable and he wasn't being at all cooperative.

It seemed, though they'd only completed the castle a grand total of six days before, the hard work was not finished. They'd sorted the school building out, even brought in many servants to run the castle and keep it tidy, made the uniforms for the schools and fashioned a shield to be the icon for each of the houses within Hogwarts. Salazar had thought they'd done enough and deserved a rest but here they were deciding on how they would invite people to the school, when they'd officially open the school and how exactly the selection process was going to run.

"Harvest should be used as time off when the students can go home to their families. That way any of our students from peasantry backgrounds can help their families." Helga suggested and it took Salazar a few moments for him to remember that here they referred to Autumn as Harvest.

"That is an excellent idea." Rowena wrote down the decision and Salazar, too annoyed by the way they were keeping him indoors, didn't bother to disagree.

He started to day dream letting the adults talk about the calendar for the school. He turned his mind back to the very start of the construction of his home, of Hogwarts. Barely three weeks had gone by since they'd begun the building work when he'd remembered that it was actually his birthday. The land had been flattened and the lowest dungeon layer had just started being built on that day. Salazar remembered being depressed though and when Helga had asked why he'd confessed quietly only for her to blurt it out loud enough for everyone in the surrounding vicinity to hear.

Sixteenth birthdays were a big thing in the future and usually people had large parties that they'd think back on with fond memories. Being sixteen was an important age, though he couldn't remember why exactly. Still, it was a birthday to remember. Thinking back on it now Salazar found that possibly no-one ever could beat the celebration he'd had.

Following Helga's loud exclamation had been utter silence. The workers stopped working and looked over, the trolls had stopped heaving the large stones, the other founders had looked over. Perhaps the biggest thing to happen however was the reaction the nymphs had to the announcement. Following the silence a half of the group had rushed over to him while the other group stayed behind. They had asked why he'd never told them and lots of other questions. Unnoticed by anyone though some nymphs slipped off into the forest and spread the news to everybody and everything they passed.

By the time the sun had begun to finish its journey across the sky the grounds Hogwarts was to be built on was filled with hundreds of nymphs dancing, and making Salazar dance too. Centaurs were playing music and stamping their hooves merrily. Godric was drunk near the huge bonfire. Helga was dancing with Rowena and the others from the village while Salazar was hand in hand with the nymphs in a circle around the bonfire dancing and laughing. Unicorns danced as well, surprisingly, though the only humans the unicorns went near were Salazar and the children. That night had been the best Salazar could ever remember having ever.

The situation had then repeated itself to celebrate autumn's arrival, winter's arrival and to celebrate Hogwarts' completion.

Salazar was pulled out of his daydream about the various parties he'd had with the nymphs and centaurs when Rowena said his name sharply. He looked at her startled and more than a little embarrassed at being caught focusing elsewhere.

"I'm sorry what were you saying?"

"You haven't been listening have you?" Rowena accused glaring at Salazar with such a look that it reminded him of Hermione's glare when he and Ron had not been paying attention in class, or to one of her rants on House Elves.

"No, sorry I got a bit distracted." Rowena huffed at him.

"We were saying that we shall open the school at the start of Spring and run it through the year except for the Harvest months when students can return home." Salazar nodded his head wondering exactly why that was so important for them to pull him out of his wonderful memories.

"Yeah sure, fine." Rowena rolled her eyes at his lack of enthusiasm. Just as Salazar was preparing to dig up some more memories he suddenly remembered something.

"Wait! We're having weekends off too!"

"And what, prey tell, is a week end?" Helga asked and Salazar looked around seeing their confusion at his word. Gawping at them he tried to process what they'd said.

"Weekends are the end of the week…Saturdays and Sundays are days when you have private time. I'm not teaching every single day of the year regardless of the holiday time you have in Harvest! I will teach five days a week but I am having two days every week as private time for me!"

"You cannot be serious!" Godric scoffed but Salazar just glared at him defiantly. Salazar might have been in the past now where everyone else had no concept of what weekends were, but there was no way he was going to give up his two days out of seven where he didn't have to worry about work. He wasn't going to give up his home comforts just because they'd never heard of it. He'd already lost so many home comforts, like showers and his friends, so he was going to cling on desperately to the ones he could.

"Actually I couldn't be more serious. I don't want to have to teach every single day every single week. I will have a weekend where I can enjoy myself, see friends and see family." Salazar didn't mention that he in fact didn't have any family, besides Dartagnan who had taken him in under his wing, in this time. And the only friends he actually had were Rowena and the nymphs. "We will have two days off."

"But that is nonsense! The pupils need teaching. They can't be having time to slack off!" Godric's protests were met with yet another fierce glare. Salazar had at one point wondered why he and the founder of his house at Hogwarts clashed so fiercely but eventually he just put it down to the man being a prat.

"They wouldn't be slacking off, they would be having a rest. They can't work on magic day in day out else they will burn themselves out, and so will I! Having two days off out of seven never did me any harm if you'll remember our little duel."

"Why are you so adamant about having these rest days Salazar?" Helga enquired frowning curiously.

"Because," seethed Salazar, "I want a break from teaching the students every single day and they could use a break from me, I'm sure. If you are around a person day after day then you quickly tire of their company. If there is a few days absence then the air between you clears and suddenly the other person isn't so vile anymore."

"Yes, I can see how someone would tire of your presence. You've the temperament of a dragon or at least of those snakes that you talk to. You are a vicious little runt." For that comment Salazar hissed at him making the man narrow his eyes and finger the end of his sword, ready to pull it at a split seconds notice.

"At least they have intelligence unlike some humans who're too stupid to even have a decent conversation. You're all brawn and no brains Gryffindor!" Godric snarled indignantly and began drawing his sword.

"Come now, stop your senseless behaviour." Rowena interrupted before the battle of wills worsened. "I cannot stand your futile bickering, you are worse than children. I happen to think Salazar makes an excellent suggestion." Unfortunately, her opinion didn't seem to have the result she'd hoped it would. Certainly the two men turned to look at her, one with curiosity the other with surprise. The problem was their final member's response.

"Oh yes well _you_ would. You should be ashamed of yourself, Rowena! A married woman such as yourself, allowing herself to be so taken in by his youthful charms. It is dishonour on you and your family, not to mention your title!" For the first time in all the months Salazar had been in her presence, Rowena lost both her temper and her composure. Standing up, violently she slammed her hand down hard on the table and glared at her female companion.

"I will have you know that my interest in Salazar's idea has absolutely nothing to do with this fantasy infatuation that you have created! Frankly, I am surprised that you yourself did not pick up on the implication that having two free days would mean." Rowena sniped with her blue eyes flashing in her anger. Helga paled slightly at the rage in her partner's eyes but frowned curiously in her confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"You've honestly not thought about it?" Rowena smirked before rolling her eyes at Helga's stupidity before muttering quietly under her breath. "I cannot believe I even thought you capable."

"Thought of what?"

"You silly woman! You spend hours upon hours telling us about how you are to be married, yet you do not realise that having two days free from your teaching obligations means that you can spend two whole days with your husband?" Helga blinked, processing the words spoken at her rapidly. Then she hung her head in defeat, finally understanding. Rowena continued on with a smugness and satisfaction about her. She held herself high and looked down on Helga with superiority in her stiff shoulders. "Well I noticed and I think it is a wonderful idea. Two free days would allow a good deal time for us to keep in touch with our hobbies and our families. Two free days where we are under no obligations other than keeping our charges safe! The idea has a lot of merit and I am all for it."

"When you put it that way Rowena, I understand and concede to the point." Helga muttered quietly with humiliation lacing her words. Salazar took the outburst from Rowena and the shame on Helga's face with quiet contemplation. He turned to the forth founder with a questioning gaze.

"And what is your opinion now Gryffindor?"

"Two days free has it's merits I shall grant you that. Very well, I concede but should I see any laziness in our students then I will revoke this agreement and we shall re-evaluate."

"Very well."

"Right. Now that that is sorted." Rowena said gaining her composure back incredibly quickly and returning to her seat. "We need to invite people to the school to learn. We shall have to send couriers to read our proposal, for very few people can read and with a person our meaning can be conveyed easier. We should find our messengers quickly, for we are to open the school in only a few short months."

"I have a question." Salazar said cutting off any further speech Rowena was going to say. "How do we find who is magical and who isn't?"

Silence met his question until finally Godric thumped his hand onto the table and gave out an excited sort of roar.

"We shall just have to go and plead our case to the king to use the book in his royalties room to find all those born with magic in them." Salazar blanched in shock and no little amount of nervousness.

"There's a King?"

"Well how else do you think the Wizarding world is governed?" Helga asked her eyes gleaming for some reason. Salazar didn't answer. He didn't think it would do any good to say that he had believed there was no ruler to the Wizarding world, hence it's dire circumstances. Now though he was having rather ridiculous mental images of a Fudge look-a-like with a crown on his head and a queen Umbridge dressed all in pink. He barely repressed a shudder.

"It looks like a messenger should be sent informing the palace of our plans and of our request to visit. Godric, if you'd be so kind considering the King would not listen to the views of someone like me." Salazar scowled and tried to glare a hole in the table. He definitely didn't like the sound of this king.

In the end Salazar had managed to make the other three founders agree that taking him to see the king would only hinder them. He had told the others that if he went he'd probably insult the king and start a war because of Salazar's disagreement with how women were to be taught, or something of the like. Thus, because Salazar would only bring disaster down on the meeting, not to mention he'd be sick on the journey, they decided to leave him behind.

No sooner had they gone, Salazar rushed outside and transfigured his shoes into some ice skates before gliding on the ice of the lake. After dancing on the surface for a few minutes, he'd attracted the attention of the nymphs by throwing snowballs at their trees. This began a full scale war, and by that evening Salazar was utterly exhausted. Just as he was walking up the castle steps to the main doors he heard a voice behind him.

"Harry." Salazar spun around and whipped his wand out. The offender suddenly found the tip of a wand tickling the end of his nose and gave Harry, now Salazar, a look of scorn. "Now now Harry, there's no need for violence. I told you I'd find you, did I not?"

"Dartagnan." Salazar breathed relieved and put away his wand having seen Dartagnan's fangs which were enough to convince him that it really was Dartagnan and not some impostor. "I had almost given up on ever seeing you again. And I go by Salazar Slytherin now by the way."

"Ah yes so I've heard. And am I to assume that this is the almighty Hogwarts?" Salazar grinned at the pale faced man.

"Oh yes. I've got my home back and she's perfect!"

"Yes, quite the spectacle I can assure you of that. Anyway, will you invite me in? I am in desperate need of some dry clothes."

"Oh sure!"

Dartagnan and Salazar dined together that evening, despite Dartagnan not consuming anything. Salazar told Dartagnan all about the creation of Hogwarts and all the things Salazar had gotten himself into. Salazar showed Dartagnan around the castle, even going so far as to show him the unfinished Chamber of Secrets and teach him how to enter it. Dartagnan had, of course, wanted to know how exactly Salazar managed to make the entrance to the chamber move the way it had as well as why he had hidden it inside a room full of chamber pots and what the contraptions Salazar called sinks were.

Dartagnan had been most interested to learn how Salazar had made the room look like the one from the future but had cast a charm on the tap so that when it was turned to a certain point it activated the aguamenti charm and that on the drain was a banishing spell so that as soon as anything hit it then it would be banished. In Dartagnan's opinion it was madness but since it worked it was very clever too.

Dartagnan had liked the Chamber of Secrets and had insisted upon Salazar decorating it. Dartagnan then revealed to Salazar that he'd come into the possession of some books that contained lots of spells and rituals that had been outlawed by Merlin himself, not to mention a few books written by Merlin. Salazar had been most eager to get his hands on them but had agreed to make a book store down in the Chamber to keep the books in. They built a study then and created a glamour to make it look exactly like a stone wall.

"Dartagnan?" Salazar asked looking up from his book and over to his companion. They were sat in a set of chambers down in the dungeons. The set of chambers had been made by Salazar blocking off the remainder of one corridor by placing a glamour wall in the way so all Dartagnan had to do was walk though the wall and he'd be in his chambers. Salazar had no other means to close off the wall in such a short amount of time so a glamour wall would have to do. Perhaps he'd add passwords to it later.

"Yes?"

"If I can get the others to agree to it would you like to stay here at Hogwarts? You could teach the students potions, after all it is a very useful art. You could teach them and, that way, I could have a friend close-by. I argue too much with Godric and Helga for me to consider them as friends. The only friend I have is Rowena here, and even then she does not know my secret. Could you stay?"

"I would be honoured to stay here, it has been a long time since I've had a home."

"I realise teaching students isn't the same as actually owning a shop and selling your recipes but if people could be taught the recipes instead then your cures will reach everyone won't they?"

"I believe it is a magnificent idea." Dartagnan went back to his book before pausing and looking up at Salazar. "Where are Ladies Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and Lord Gryffindor?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you? They went to see the king so we can find where the muggles borne into magic and all the other magic born children live. We can't very well send envoys to people if we don't know their names and addresses, can we?!"

"No I suppose not."

It took two weeks for Rowena, Helga and Godric to return to Hogwarts with a copy of the book safely guarded. Before Salazar could get a word in edgeways, Rowena was forcing everyone into the great hall so they could arrange parties to go to the different locations and bring the students to Hogwarts. Godric, with all his charm, had managed to persuade the King to allow some of his messengers to help the founders. As well as those messengers Godric recruited some of the local people from Hogsmeade and had graciously volunteered to go and speak to all the Purebloods himself.

Salazar had offered to seek out the muggleborn children, for he was better equipped to handle the situation should things turn rough, and had made a bet with Godric that he'd be able to manage his long list of students in half the time it took Godric to reach all of his. Once it was all decided they went to dinner where upon Dartagnan was introduced.

"Evening, Dartagnan!" Salazar said cheerfully before breaking some bread apart and dipping it into his broth. He dearly missed the old meals he'd had at Hogwarts since all he seemed to have nowadays was either a broth of some kind or meat. What he wouldn't give for some more vegetables, something he never thought he'd say.

"Good eve to you too Salazar." Dartagnan inclined his head. "And you must be Lord Gryffindor, I have heard a lot about you sir. As have I you Lady Ravenclaw, Lady Hufflepuff."

"It is good to make your acquaintance sir, but may I inquire as to your name?" Godric asked looking down his nose at the man.

"Dartagnan Prince at your service."

"Urgh enough with the formalities." Salazar groaned and reached a hand out to pull back a chair for Dartagnan. "Sit down would you, Dartagnan? Where have you been all day anyway?"

"The same could be asked of you Salazar." Dartagnan hedged as he gracefully slid into his seat. "I have not seen you since you retired to bed last night."

"Well first thing this morning I had another snow war with the nymphs but this time the unicorns joined in too. They are incredibly annoying you know. Have you ever tried to pelt a unicorn with snow? They just blend into the snow and their hooves don't even make a print yet they can make you into a snow man with the kick of one leg! Very annoying. Anyway, after I made a tactical retreat from battle, I took a bath and then these three came back and Rowena dragged everyone to make more plans. So, now you confess."

"Very well. I was in the dungeons making potions." Salazar rolled his eyes.

"Of course, as if you'd be doing anything else. Oh!" Salazar's eyes went wide. "Speaking of potions. Helga, Rowena, Godric, Dartagnan is a Master potions maker and I've asked him whether he'd be able to teach the students in the art as well. It would be a useful skill for all the students, males and females included, to know how to make potions."

"Potions are all very well and good however many of the ingredients are hard to come by not to mention some potions are illegal and using them is a death sentence." Godric informed them.

"Yes I am well aware of that Lord Gryffindor however there is a wealth of potions ingredients in the forest should I need to restock and any ingredients that can't be found there can be found at my suppliers. As for the illegal potions, I am a master sir and am well aware of which potions should, and should not, be brewed."

"I believe it would be advantageous to have you teach the students Sir Prince. I would very much like for you to teach my students the art." Rowena put in with a small smile when she saw the look of tremendous gratitude Salazar gave her. Dartagnan offered her a smirk of gratitude and a nod. Godric pondered it for a while before nodding his head too.

"Yes. If our young warriors are going to learn the art of battle they should also have a basic knowledge of healing at least. You have my consent to both teach and to refer to me by my first name."

"Since the others have had their say I shall concede to the point as well though I reserve my judgement on your skills, sir."

"That madam, is probably most wise."

"Brilliant." Salazar breathed and grinned at the vampire who offered him a smirk in amusement.

* * *

_**End Note: **__Well, faster update this time! For those of you who were wondering, there will be both OC/HP and DM/HP in the later chapters. I thought we'd clear that up 'cause there was at least one review asking :3 Any questions for this chapter? **-e**  
_

* * *


	6. Getting Started

* * *

_**Standard Disclaimers Apply**_

_**Pairing**__: HP/OC also HP/DM later_

_**Summary**__: HP/OC, HP/DM The shock of a sudden change in appearance tears a hole in the fabric of time, sending Harry back to 998 A.D. Upon discovering only 3 of the 4 Founders, Harry accidentally takes on the role of the 4th Founder._

_**Warning**__: Creature Harry, Time travel, eventual Slash and Mpreg, _

_**Note**__: Dual-author fic._

* * *

_**Question and Answer Time!**_

_**Q: will the hp/oc last very long?**_

_A: Yes it will. But don't be put off! It's important as it's his first relationship and it's setting him up for the DM/HP. If there wasn't an OC/HP, there would be no HP/DM! You'll see :P_

_**Q: possibly with a bit more respect for the females. **_

_A: Well actually both of us (the authors) are female. We're trying to keep this as historically correct as we possibly can. Females would have been treated as possessions and tools for producing an heir. Females wouldn't have had any rights, and in fact, we're being very lenient as it is. _

_**Q: Is Dartagnan Prince by any chance Severus Snape's ancestor?**_

_A: He is indeed!_

_**Q: Is the king going to be very important to your story, or is he just used to build up the background setting?**_

_A: He is important, however not important to the story. He will be used more to aid the plot, and will only appear a few times. He is to show that there was a monarchy instead of a ministry._

_**Q: But is there any way that Harry could idk like get a **__**telepathic message from the future while standing in the Gryffindor common room, from Hermione or someone (Dumbledore, Ron, Dean, Minerva etc) similar to that? **_

_A: No he couldn't get a telepathic message, because that would mean one of them would have to already be telepathic. However, part of the idea has merit, and we will be using something similar._

_**Q: **__**How is Draco Malfoy getting to the past?**_

_A: He's not!_

_**Q: BTW who is going to be Harry's lover?**_

_A: Wait and see! He won't appear for a while._

_**Q: Wasn't Dartagnan one of the three musketeers?**_

_A: That's where Gem-chan got the name from! But in this story he is NOT a musketeer and definately not French._

_**Q: Will his relationship back in time be with a male also?**_

_A: Of course! It's the only type of relationship we'll willingly write. (Excluding side characters.)_

* * *

**The Founder**

**Chapter 5 – Getting Started**

_By gemroses_

Salazar waited until the other messengers had disappeared, Godric riding over the hill out of view on his horse and the others travelling in different directions away from Hogwarts, before summoning his broom and his invisibility cloak from his rooms. Surprisingly, for once he had left his belongings in his room and not shrunken everything into his pocket. Pulling the invisibility cloak over him Salazar consulted his list and his map. He had been given the mid west region. The first name on his list was a muggleborn called Olin Calder and he was the furthest person from Salazar's current position.

Putting the map and list away, not that he understood why he needed a map, and pulled his wand free once more. Placing it flat on his palm Salazar spoke quietly to it.

"Point me Olin Calder!" He demanded and the wand spun slightly before sending out a small spark of white showing him that that was the direction he needed to go in.

"Up!" Salazar told his broom and it lifted into his hand. Swinging a leg over the broom Salazar cast a spell that would stick the cloak to the broom and to himself before he pushed off hard from the ground and shot off into the chilly air. "God I missed flying! Wonder if I could convince the birds to fly with me."

Gleefully Salazar sped over England towards the first person he would enrol.

The 'Point Me' spell lead Salazar to a small village where he landed in a thicket of trees and shrunk his broom. Remaining under his invisibility cloak Salazar continued with the point me spell and found himself outside a wooden shack. He watched for a while and saw a boy with mud brown hair and eyes walk out of the house and across the street calling over his shoulder to tell his mother that he would be back in a moment. The wand on Salazar's palm turned as the teenager, about twelve years old, walked past.

"And that would be Olin." Salazar put a notice me not charm on himself and pulled his cloak off his head and shoulders. Shrinking it he placed it in his pocket before setting about to wait for Olin to return home. The smell of food caught his nose though and his stomach gave a grumble. Following his nose over the frozen land towards where he knew the food to be. Unfortunately for him the food came from within a private building and Salazar didn't fancy asking to be fed.

"Damn it. Where's Dobby when you need him?" Looking around Salazar tried to find an Inn but there wasn't one around. No food for Salazar then. Thank Merlin he had some stores in his pockets. Just as he was contemplating going back to the thicket of trees to un-shrink his basket of food Salazar saw Olin return. Giving a smirk he walked over to the boy's house. "To business then."

Once at the door to Olin's house Salazar raised a hand and knocked, while cancelling the notice me not charm. His outfit looked very out of place in such a village. His unmarred black clothes inlayed with emeralds and green embroidery around the buttons, cuffs and other edges. His cloak was thick and heavy with fur around the edge of the hood and around the bottom.

"Can I 'elp yeh me Lord?" A dirty woman with disgusting breath said as she pulled open the door and looked him over. When her eyes caught the beautiful jewels over his clothes her eyes had widened then filled with greed. Only one word came to mind when Salazar saw her. 'Disgusting.'

"I believe you can madam. I need an audience with Olin Calder and his parents about a very important matter."

"Then I spose you'd better come in!"

"You have my thanks." Salazar stepped inside the building and saw that the house had only one room. There was a table near a cooker and several stools pulled out around it. Over in the corner were beds, five beds with one of them being a double. There were also some comfortable chairs near a fireplace, though Salazar doubted very much that he'd sit in them because they were very dirty. He found himself praying this was a bad dream even as he pushed down the pity he had for the people who had to live like this.

"Oi! Olin! There's a man here who wishes to see yeh!" A few moments later Salazar found himself stood with his back to the fireplace and looking down at the large family around him who were all sat on the comfortable chairs with expectant looks on their faces.

"Let us begin then." Salazar said before meeting the father and then the mother's eyes. "My name is Salazar Slytherin and I am one of the four founders of a school up in the north of the country. My companions and I have built a castle inside which we wish to teach students with gifts. It has come to our attention that Olin has the gift we seek to teach about and is also of age to begin learning at Hogwarts."

"And what is this gift Olin has sir?" The father gruffly said with his tongue rolling behind black teeth as he spoke.

"Magic sir. Olin is a wizard, as am I and as are the other founders. It is our wish to teach Olin how to control his magic."

"Don't be ridiculous man! That is absurd!" The man said standing up looking furious.

"I can assure you sir I am serious. Perhaps a demonstration will help convince you of the severity of this situation?" Salazar pulled his wand. "Let us try, Lumos!"

The tip of his wand started to glow brightly and it drew gasps from the others in the room. Satisfied with their awed and shocked expressions Salazar cancelled the charm with a quick 'knox'.

"And now to my point. That is a simple spell, at least in my opinion and everyone I know can do it. Perhaps Olin would care to try?"

"Get to it boy!" The man grabbed his son and pulled him up. Olin gently took the wand from Salazar.

"Now, usually the wand choses the wizard so you will be obtaining your own wand but you should be able to produce the same reaction as my wand gave me moments ago. Now, grip the wand tightly and pronounce 'Lumos' as clearly as you can."

"Lumos." The tip started to glow faintly and Salazar nodded his head.

"Quite right too. Now…" Salazar went on to explain how their school would teach the students five days a week then the students could have two days off to practise and to relax before they'd have another five days of work. He also explained how they would have the Harvest season off and the new school year would begin on the first day of spring. He told the parents that if they could not afford to buy the equipment Olin would need, for example his wand and his clothes, then the bill would be fitted by the school but Olin would be expected to work the debt off. The family obviously couldn't pay thus Salazar told them as payment for the debt he would have Olin working inside the castle doing regular chores. Nobody had minded since he'd only do the chores through Christmas and after his education was finished with.

Salazar left the Calder family and told them that he'd arrange for a carriage to come around for him in a few weeks time and for him to be packed and ready to go. Once inside the thicket of trees Salazar munched on some food before pulling his list out again and uttering the point me spell once more.

A few names down the list later and Salazar arrived at a miniature castle. He informed the person who came out to meet him that he needed an audience with Alecto Buckley and his parents. An hour later his audience was granted though Salazar was in a foul temper by then.

"Mister Slytherin isn't it? What have you to say to my family?" So Salazar began his tale but unlike all the other muggleborns reactions the Buckleys had a nasty reaction, one that put Salazar in more disgust than he had been at first.

"You will be going Alecto and you will learn and when you return you shall aid me in becoming a Lord or even King do you understand me?! We would be rich! Your magic will make us rich!"

"Yes sir."

Salazar had left them with instructions on when Alecto would be picked up and made his way down the list again. He should have known though really, and have expected a reaction like that. He'd seen muggleborns being immediately disowned no sooner had they proved their magical capabilities. He'd seen them being pushed into it by their parents because they were no good abominations and they were unnatural. The last reaction though, the greed and selfishness, had completely disgusted him. There was no way Salazar was going to teach greedy, conniving bastards like Alecto to become great wizards. And yet there was no way to tell them apart from the other students.

Salazar came to the rather violent conclusion that the muggleborns couldn't be trusted, none of them could be. They would be greedy and seek to improve their families positions in society or they'd be so bitter about magic that they'd take revenge on either the Wizarding world or their families. There was no way Salazar was going to teach anyone how to become a murderer. He already had a complicated life, he was not going to make it worse for himself. With a silent apology to Hermione, Salazar made up his mind. He was not going to teach anyone from non-magical backgrounds. He didn't want the risk.

Two weeks later Salazar had completed his list and was back at Hogwarts. He was the first one back, he was amused to notice, and the servants at Hogwarts informed him that Rowena and Helga were in Rowena's chambers with Dartagnan. Dartagnan never left to see the students for, he said, he had potions to brew and lessons to plan and all the rest of it. The women weren't allowed to go since they would not be listened to anyway because of their gender.

"Salazar! Back so soon!"

"I told you I'd be back quickly. I do not trust the muggleborns though. They are all too full of self loathing, Wizarding loathing or greed for me to trust them at all. With them I do not believe our school to be safe. I don't want to teach them."

"And yet you are all for equality." Rowena raised her eyebrow at him and Salazar hissed menacingly.

"Yes but not when it puts us in danger. They will expose us and I refuse to teach them what I know."

They argued late into the night, the ladies and Salazar, but eventually Salazar snatched the goblet they'd use to put students in their houses. He cast a spell on it to only spit out the names of people with _magical_ backgrounds to be selected for his house. Once the spell was placed there was no removing it and Salazar felt his mind take him back to the Goblet of Fire. Once it spat out your name you were pulled into an unbreakable contract. There would be no changing houses now and there would be no removing that spell. Also Salazar made them add a rule to the students. There was to be no magic outside of Hogwarts until the founders deemed their education finished.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" The four founders stood at the top table and looked down on all the students who would be attending the school. Salazar could see Olin and Alecto Buckley sat at the table he'd chosen as his and his vow not to teach the muggleborns came up anew as he stared at Alecto.

"I am relieved to see you have all made it safely. Now, we feast and after you shall be lead to your rooms by the servants. Your rooms are all private. No matter what your previous station was, no matter how rich your family, you all have the same sized rooms with the same things inside them. Your room is your own living space and no-one whom you have not allowed to enter should enter the room. The only ones who do not need permission to enter the rooms are we, the teachers." Godric explained, though his tone got bitter as he explained how their ranks were to be taken away.

"Now, over the course of the week you shall all be taken shopping at Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley to be fitted for uniforms and to get your wands. Should you have a wand already then you are still required to come. On Friday evening you shall all gather here dressed in your uniforms for the usual evening meal only this is the time when you shall be sorted.

"There are four houses, four clans, one of which you shall belong to during your entire stay here at Hogwarts. The houses are Gryffindor, for those of you who are brave, daring and strong at heart. Ravenclaw is the house for those of you who are wise and wish to learn merely for the sake of learning. Slytherin is the house for the determined, the resourceful, ambition and for those of you who don't mind breaking the rules of society. Finally, the house Hufflepuff is for those of you who are loyal, hard working and honest. Once you are sorted into a house there shall be no changing into a different house. I expect you all to bring honour to your houses as you would bring honour to your King and your Country. Now, eat for we have a busy week ahead of us."

"I expect you all to stay with me. If one of you wanders off I will not be amused." Salazar informed his students whose ages ranged from eleven years old to seventeen. He was in charge of this particular group of forty students on their venture to the Wizarding shopping district. "We are headed to the robe store first and you shall be fitted five people at a time. Girls have a private room at the back inside which they shall be fitted while boys are going to be fitted in the main part of the shop."

"Sir? How old are you exactly?" Salazar looked over his shoulder and saw one of the purebloods. He stood taller than Salazar did and had his nose upturned.

"I do not see how my age concerns you. Now I'd tilt your nose down lest it hits something being stuck up like that." They arrived at the shop and Salazar sorted them out and informed them they would wait patiently for their turn and then to go home else he would lose his temper and that wouldn't be a pretty sight.

The founders had chosen the designs of the clothes carefully. Each of the tartans were the same pattern though in different colours. Before they got sorted however every person's uniform would be grey, white and black then the black and the white would change colour to become the colours of the houses they were sorted into. Specifically for Friday evening the founders were to place the colouring charms on the seats of each table so that when the newly sorted students sat down their clothes would change colour and their house emblem would appear on the left breast of their outer robes.

The male's uniforms consisted of knee high leather boots and trousers tucked into them. The trousers would be made of the tartan of their house. Their shirts would be plain in either red, yellow, green or blue and their outer robes would be the same.

The girls would have skirts that came to the floor in their house's tartan. They'd have plain shirt on top but their bodice, which Salazar mistakenly called their corsets, were to be either gold, black, bronze or silver in colour. Their outer robes were the same as their male counterparts.

All the students were forbidden from wearing any fineries and their hair should be pulled back appropriately. While attending Hogwarts they were to wear their uniforms to lessons and to every evening meal. The only time when they were permitted to wear their own clothes was on the weekends.

Once all the students were finished being fitted, which took a while, they were all taken to Ollivander's. Salazar greeted the man who enquired about his wand before Salazar could stop him. Claiming his wand was perfectly fine Salazar refused to hand it over and instead shoved the first student in front of the man. Salazar was slightly bemused to find that this Ollivander was nothing like the one he knew. This Ollivander had a terrible memory but extremely good knowledge for which wand would suit whom.

Another hour later Salazar lead his students back to the school and gratefully threw himself into one of the chairs in Dartagnan's chambers.

"Today was a nightmare! And so boring!" He complained.

"Yes I can see that." Dartagnan chuckled.

"Still, I'll be glad when school starts. I've got all my lessons planned already and yes I looked over Rowena's to make sure I wasn't teaching them too many new spells. Still, when I looked in my spell books I found many of the spells I know were said to have first been used in the time of the Founders. Do you suppose it was because of me that they are used now?"

"I think that if you think on it too hard you will confuse yourself." Dartagnan gave him a smirk that revealed too much fang for Salazar's liking.

"Fine. I won't think about it. Did you look through Merlin's books?"

"I did." Salazar sat upright eagerly.

"Did it say anything about time travel?"

"Sadly no, not in the book I read. Maybe in another book however we shall find a way to get you home." Salazar sighed and closed his eyes. He'd specially taught Dartagnan a bit of Parseltongue so the vampire could go into the chamber of secrets. He had hoped that in those books that Dartagnan had gotten a hold of there would be a way home for him. He didn't particularly want to be stuck in this time.

"Zorlic, Corben shall be Hufflepuff!" Godric called out the last name that was thrown from the sorting goblet and Salazar slumped into his chair with a sigh. The sorting was over and on the far table were all of his students dressed in green and silver. They all looked very smart surprisingly. He had about fifty percent girls and fifty percent boys. Godric had somehow managed to get no girls in his house and Salazar supposed that was because none of the girls in this time were really brave and courageous because they all believed themselves to be only tools to men. Helga had nearly all girls with only about fifteen boys down her long table. Rowena had about a quarter of her group being girls though.

"Look at the people surrounding you." Salazar stood up to say. "They are to be your family for the duration of your studies. You will work besides them, learn beside them and . All of you should work as a team to bring your house honour. Should somebody in your house be struggling I expect you all to help that person for only together and united shall your house gain honour."

"Quite right!" Godric agreed. "Now classes begin on Monday. Rest, explore but abide by our rules. Any rule breaking shall result in punishments no matter who you are." Salazar and Godric sat down and the feast began.

While his students ate Salazar watched them carefully. He saw how all the girls waited their turn to have food while the men talked over them. He saw the prince of the Wizarding world, Cedric Usbeorn, was in Slytherin and Salazar vowed to take him down a peg or four. The way he was lording over everyone around him wasn't right at all. If there was to be a hierarchy within his house then it would be decided by magical power and capability and not by rank.

"Now that the feast is over would Slytherin house follow me?" It wasn't really a question and the Slytherins heard that. They rose and followed their head of house who bowed to the other founders before leading his house out of the great hall and down to the classroom he'd teach them all in.

"Now, I would like to only have to say this once though I have no doubts you will all make me repeat myself. I expect all of you to act differently in my house and if you wish to earn my favour you shall head my words. Inside my house, in my clan, there is no hierarchy of rank. You could have been a God before coming here and I couldn't care less about it. You are all equal under my banner and the only way for one of you to rise up in the hierarchy is for you to work hard and increase your magical power. I could care less how rich you are or how poor, in the grand scheme of things that doesn't matter. What matters is your magic, how powerful that is and how well you can wield it.

"Now, regardless of societies rules and regulations I will not see any of the girls in my house looking to the floor when I address them. Girls!" all the girls snapped their heads up to look at him and when he saw he had their attention he gave them a smile. "Girls listen closely and do not forget this. Where I am from I had a friend, a very powerful friend. That friend battled twenty men and came out the victor. That friend worked out something nobody for fifty years had been able to manage. That friend was the cleverest person around. My friend was the envy of everyone for the hard work, the knowledge and the ambition my friend showed. My friend was a girl."

Gasps of shock and disbelief rang through the classroom and Salazar knew he had everyone's attention.

"I do not discriminate against gender. I couldn't care whether you were a boy or a girl, man or woman. I expect you all to put effort into learning the same things. I shall teach all of you how to clean a room, how to cook and how to take care of the home just as I shall teach all of you how to be offensive, how to defend and how to cast a plethora of different spells. You will learn everything I teach, ALL of you will."

"Sir! Girls cannot learn duelling!" Salazar whipped out his wand, aimed it at the Prince and whispered the levitation charm. He brought the Prince through the air to him and looked him straight in the eye.

"Oh I can assure you Usbeorn, they can." Without releasing the prince of the Wizarding world Salazar turned to his audience who were watching with amazement. "Now, because at first you aren't going to let all of societies rules go I shall be teaching the girls separately from the boys. Boys will be here straight after breakfast every morning and we shall work till lunch. Girls I shall teach in the afternoon. And after a while I shall have boys duel girls and we shall see what happens. Now. If you have any problems, if you are ill, struggling, worried, terrified, being bullied, want something or anything at all feel free to talk to me. I will listen to anything you wish to talk about. I will listen to anything and do my best to help."

Salazar dismissed everyone to go to their beds after telling them where he could be found should he be needed over the weekend.

"Oh before I forget! Everyone has potions class on Wednesday!"

* * *

_**End Note: **__Do you find the Question and Answer bit at the top useful? It's easier for us to clear up the issues as they come, rather than reply just to one person, when everyone might be asking the same thing. (or would you prefer it at the bottom?) __**–e**_

_We've built Hogwarts now, we've set the scene. From here on in we should be able to pick up speed a little and get to the more interesting bits. __**-g**_

* * *


	7. Gloves Off, Fidelus and Unicorns

* * *

_**Standard Disclaimers Apply**_

_**Pairing**__: HP/OC also HP/DM later_

_**Summary**__: HP/OC, HP/DM The shock of a sudden change in appearance tears a hole in the fabric of time, sending Harry back to 998 A.D. Upon discovering only 3 of the 4 Founders, Harry accidentally takes on the role of the 4th Founder._

_**Warning**__: Creature Harry, Time travel, eventual Slash and Mpreg, _

_**Note**__: Dual-author fic._

* * *

_**Question and Answer Time!**_

_**Q: **__**One thing, though, just FYI -- I know this trips up a lot of people in this day and age, but "Alecto" is actually a girl's name. **_

_A: Yes it __is, however in King Arthur (the 2004 movie) There is a character called Alecto, who is most definitely male. He is the Pope's grandson (or something like that)._

_**Q: **__**does that mean that severus is a vampire?!**_

_A: __The vampire blood isn't a dominant gene in Severus, however he does have vampiric traits (don't you agree?). _

_**Q: **__**Will Harry somehow be related to Severus by, lets say bonding with Dartagnan?**_

_A: __No._

_**Q: **__**Is Severus going to have an important part in this story?**_

_A: __He has a part in the story later on, but he's not really a main player._

_**Q: **__**when does the MPREG start and with whom?!!**_

_A: It will be in about 7 chapters time, and that's still a secret!_

_**Q: **__**I am amused at the whole Harry is Salazar thing. Especially with his bf being a muggleborn and him not wanting them.**_

_A: Just to clarify, Salazar's first boyfriend/lover will not be a wizard from the school. Or in anyway muggle born._

_**Q: **__**Is he just following behavior on how he remembered Salazar being, or has this turned into his true feelings?**_

_A: __He's just trying to stay safe. Magic was not welcomed by muggles at this time, and magic isn't strong enough, or developed enough to hide the Wizarding World. Religion reigned strongly, and magical folk would have been stoned to death if they were discovered._

_**Q:**__**If he's still all defensive in saying Hermione is an awesome witch wouldn't that encourage him to find the good non-greedy type, and not just forsake them?**_

_A: __See the above answer for our reasoning behind him not liking muggleborns. However, there will be a muggleborn later on that he helps so not all is lost!_

_**Q: **__**He's a bit hot-headed (didn't they describe Slytherin as such?), and clever, but I don't know where the other qualities of Slytherin surfaced from: ambitious, cunning, clever. Hum, maybe the students that are in the Houses determine what the qualities actually are?**_

_A: __Isn't Salazar being ambitious in his quest to equalize men and women in that era? Considering the context it is quite the ambition indeed! As for cunning, Salazar is getting his way isn't he? He's going against Godric Gryffindor, if it's a battle of brute force Godric will win, so Salazar HAS to be cunning! Besides wait until later, we have something planned in a few chapters time._

_**Q:**__**Now, there's some parts I disagree on. Like Godric being --but hey, you depicted him that way and I'm not going to rant on and on about how "gentlemanly and lordly" he's supposed to be.**_

_A: How should a Gentleman behave in that era? There's this huge sexism there and in order to be considered lordly at this time a man would have to be dominating. Dominating would be displayed by victories over others, strength and skill in battle. Nothing else would have been important really, just the battle for "alpha male"._

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**The Founder**

**Chapter 6 – ****Gloves Off, Fidelus and Unicorns**

_By gemroses_

Salazar felt the stress of his first week of teaching really catching up on him. There had been an annoying fight for dominance in all of his classes with the boys so far with Usbeorn trying to assert his rule over what should happen in the class room. It had all come to a climax mid week when Salazar had finally lost his temper at the Prince and because of the loss of temper his magic got out of control. His magic became visible and crackled violently. To say his class had been scared would be an understatement but since then at least they shut up and listened to Salazar.

The girls were less trying in class, they were naturally obedient anyway, though they were all incredibly reluctant to cast any of the fighting spells he wanted them too. He had to resort to loosing his temper with them as well. However, he managed to make them change eventually. He yelled at them telling them he didn't want them to be statues and decorations. He had told them he wanted them to scream at him if there was something they didn't like, yell at him, curse at him, fight him, throw temper tantrums and cry in frustration not shy away. He got his point across, for that he was glad. He wasn't so happy about one member of his class loosing control of her magic in a temper tantrum but it was amusing and he had congratulated her on actually proving she was alive.

"Dartagnan? Are you in here?!" Salazar yelled after telling the password to the piece of wall that hid Dartagnan's chambers.

"Study, Salazar." Salazar stormed through the chambers to the room that had Dartagnan's study in. Once in the room decorated in, surprisingly, black, green and silver Salazar threw himself onto a large and elegant chair. Dartagnan looked up at him and smirked as Salazar ran a tired hand through his hair before shuddering as he felt the pointed tip of his ear.

"Now you see why I never had children." Dartagnan drawled and Salazar levelled a glare at him.

"No I don't see why you never had children, though I can see why my old teacher made everyone in class scared of him. They seem to listen better if you frighten them into it."

"Ah, I see your temper has come into play then has it not?"

"You could say that. How's your week been anyway Dartagnan? I've not seen you since the week end." Dartagnan shuffled the papers on his desk before sliding them inside a book which he rose to put back on one of his numerous shelves.

"My week has been fair. Helga's house is the most appalling I've ever seen when it comes to potions. They do not even grasp the basics between cutting, slicing and chopping. Rowena's house has the highest show of aptitude for the art however, I can only assume it is because they all have a desire to learn that matches their leader. Gryffindors badgered me to learn potions to wound, kill, cripple and pain the enemies. So in retaliation I am going to teach them healing potions." Salazar and Dartagnan shared a smirk; they could imagine Godric's expression when he heard of what his class were learning in potions. "And as you know your class was full of prejudice. The girls sat at the back and worked in silence with the boys complaining that it was women's work and not an art to create potions. Needless to say I am sure they shall soon learn their lessons, hm?"

"Oh yes, I am going to beat that prejudice out of them, literally. I'm going to teach all of them how to duel then I'm going to have a competition, girls versus boys. I have money on the girls winning; do you wish to place a bet?" Dartagnan considered that with a smirk.

"Very well, I place one galleon on the girls. Perhaps you should take your gambling to Godric? You could earn yourself some coins that way."

"That idea has merit, perhaps I shall. First though I'm going to see whether I can arrange for me to sit in on Helga's class some time. She's teaching cooking spells, you know the ones where you can make food with just a wand movement and incantation? Not to mention she's teaching them all how to conjure ingredients then actually make a meal from them. It should be an interesting lesson."

"I would say you are far too infatuated with cooking for your own good." Salazar smirked at Dartagnan and shrugged.

"Well you should never underestimate your opponent. Besides, I'd imagine being able to throw food at your opponent is a good way to distract them, don't you?" Dartagnan nodded and pulled a different book off the shelf and began flicking through it. "Perhaps I should start a food fight at dinner, what do you think?"

"If anything it will create a mess that the servants will not be amused to have to clean up." Dartagnan drawled as if it he found no amusement in the idea. Salazar grinned cheekily having seen the light glimmer in Dartagnan's eyes.

"Yes but at least then all the students would be inclined to wash. And besides, don't you think a fight like that would release the tension caused by the first week of classes?"

"I will agree with you on that account but perhaps it is a little early to break tension that way. All the students are stuck in the social formalities they are raised with and not at all like the youth in your time." Salazar's smile dropped considerably.

"Yes…my time. I wonder what's happened. I mean I've been away almost a year. Voldemort could have attacked them by now and all my friends could be dead!" Salazar went on blabbering for a while managing to push himself further and further into a depression until Dartagnan placed a book in front of his nose.

"Here, I was reading through the books from your time and I found this. Read it." Salazar took the book from Dartagnan and looked at the open page. Salazar scanned over the words quickly and he immediately became filled with determination and a light feeling that he couldn't actually define. His depression lifted and was immediately forgotten.

"The fidelus charm? This is brilliant Dartagnan, now we can protect the castle! Come on we have to tell the others." Salazar dashed for the door, book still in his hand, and it was only when he was walking through the corridor outside the study that he realised Dartagnan wasn't following him. Doubling back Salazar stepped into the room and crossed his arms over his chest being careful not to lose his place in the book. "And why, pray tell, are you not following?"

"In case you had not noticed Salazar the sun is still up and I do not fancy becoming ash just for the protection of this pile of stones." Salazar scowled darkly.

"You made that potion from my time that protects vampires from sunlight for a week Dartagnan. You took the potion on Sunday, the seven day period has not yet ended, now come with me to help protect my home."

"There is no guarantee that the potion worked and I have not yet had the time to test it."

"You mean you are scared. Fine." Salazar pulled his wand and levelled it at Dartagnan. Before the vampire could react Salazar had said his spell. "Solaris!"

The bright beam of sunlight burst from the tip of Salazar's wand and hit Dartagnan straight on his chest. The vampire launched himself at Salazar who smirked, cancelled the Solaris charm and created a shield which the vampire hit and fell backwards to the floor. Salazar found himself on the receiving end of a deadly glare.

"Right, now you've been tested against sunlight and we know it didn't kill you we need to go and see Rowena." Dartagnan lost the glare and instead looked at Salazar with a rather perplexed look on his face.

"You just tested me against sunlight? With a wand? How is that possible?"

"How should I know?" Salazar shrugged. "Look, I'll lend you my Defence Against the Dark Arts text books and you can see for yourself. The Solaris charm is what you use when you fight against vampires, though when that doesn't work you have to quickly resort to blasting charms, cutting hexes and the like. Come on, we have a fidelus charm to set up."

The pair of them walked down the corridors of the castle and ended up passing many students. All of them stared at the still annoyed looking Dartagnan and Salazar who was reading through the book even as he walked. It surprised many to see Salazar not even look away from his book and Dartagnan having to grasp him by the shoulders and correct where he was walking.

Salazar did eventually put the book down though, having finished the detailed description of the charm and how to cast it. He'd have to re-read it later to make sure he understood properly but from what he'd scanned over it didn't seem too hard, just power draining.

No sooner had they stepped up onto the staircase to get to Rowena's chambers the staircase started moving. Salazar braced himself with one hand on the banister. He bent his knees and made sure his legs were shoulder width apart, it was second nature to him now. Unfortunately, it wasn't second nature to Dartagnan who didn't venture out past the dungeons much. Dartagnan doubled over and grabbed the banister for dear life cursing all the time the staircase moved.

"Damn Rowena and her ridiculous ideas! Moving staircases indeed!" Dartagnan spat following the exclamations with several expletives that made Salazar's cheeks tinge red.

"I quite like the idea actually; it adds further dynamics to the castle. That and it is highly entertaining." Salazar said when Dartagnan finished his tirade. Dartagnan looked at him with narrowed eyes and was about to retort when a staircase over the other side of the room moved with several Gryffindor students on it. They all screamed. Dartagnan's retort died in his mouth. Instead he smirked.

"Very well, I concede to your point. Perhaps I shall take to lurking around the staircases more often."

"Merlin forbid you will actually step out of your dungeon Dartagnan." Salazar and Dartagnan looked up to see Rowena standing at the top of the staircase looking at them with mirth shining in her blue eyes. "This is the first time you've ventured out since the great feast is it not? Not to mention it was probably Salazar here who dragged you out."

"I will have you know madam that I came willingly!" Dartagnan protested, straightening up and looking defiantly up at the woman.

"With a little convincing of course." Salazar put in looking away to the side so he didn't see the furious look Dartagnan directed at him. For all intents and purposes, Salazar put an innocent smile on his lips and gave Rowena the most angelic look she'd ever seen. She laughed and descended the stairs.

"And what can I do to help you two charming gentlemen, hm? I take it you were coming to visit me?" Salazar briefly wondered how she knew they were going to visit her but quickly put it down to being one of Rowena's quirks, either that or a very good guess. He held out the book open on the page detailing the fidelus charm.

"This talks about a charm which can keep whole buildings hidden from anyone who hasn't been told of it's location by the secret keeper. It could help solve our protection problem."

"Hm, that as the case may be." Rowena took the book and stared blankly at the page before handing the book back to Salazar who took it and frowned.

"What? Do you not think it could work?" Rowena shook her head and looked Salazar in the eye.

"No, I can't read it." Salazar looked from her to the page before looking over to Dartagnan who seemed equally clueless. Then Salazar looked back at the book and noticed the problem.

"Oh! OH! It's in English! Yeah, sorry Rowena. Perhaps Dartagnan and I should translate?" Rowena nodded and turned around gesturing them to follow her back to her office. "I forgot she wouldn't be able to read it."

"As did I. No matter, if I know Rowena…"

"And you do." Salazar quickly put in with a smirk.

"As I was saying," Salazar received a narrow eyed look from Dartagnan for his comment, "if I know Rowena, she will have us teach her English just so she can peruse the books herself."

"And teaching her will of course be a pleasure." Salazar quipped and before Dartagnan could retaliate Salazar quickened his pace to walk along side Rowena. Dartagnan growled.

Sunday saw Salazar wearily making his way to bed after a busy weekend. They had cast the fidelus charm earlier that day and had made Salazar the secret keeper before they were able to alter the charm to include the other founders as secret keepers as well. All the students had been informed of what was going on, as had the King unfortunately.

Now though Salazar was very drained. His limbs felt heavy and he had a very large headache. He made it to the seventh floor and into his rooms before falling with a groan to the bed. Not even bothering to change his clothes or banish the horrible animal skins.

Monday came and Salazar very reluctantly dragged himself out of bed and into the bath. The servants who were meant to attend to him just watched in shock, still not being used to Salazar getting himself ready, as Salazar spelled the bath full, shed his clothes and climbed in. They also watched as he pulled on some clean clothes and spelled his clothes clean. He walked out of his chambers still dressing himself and batting away one of the servants as they attempted to help. In the end he told him that if he wanted to help Salazar then he should go and properly wash the clothes that Salazar spelled clean.

He made it to the Great Hall and threw himself inelegantly into his chair and summoned what he wanted for breakfast with a flick of his wand. Shovelling the tomato soup they'd served for breakfast, into his mouth he quickly finished breakfast and turned to Helga who had been watching him in shock.

"Can I attend your cooking class this morning Helga?"

"Uh…uh…yes Salazar if you want to." Helga finally managed to stutter out. Salazar nodded.

"Good. Then perhaps we can come up with a breakfast menu that is different to the lunch menu, hm?" Salazar stood up and walked over to his table. He stood at the end of it and raised his wand. Casting a quick Sonorous he spoke to his students.

"Slytherin house, boys classes this morning are cancelled however you are expected to use this time to practise the spells you learned last week in the classroom and revise the theories behind them with your classmates. Some of Hogwarts guards shall watch over you. There are to be no mock duels! Girls, you shall continue your private study as per usual and I shall see you straight after lunch for the usual afternoon lessons. Do you all understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Excellent. Quietus." Salazar's voice returned to normal and he turned to leave the table when he was called back by the alpha female of Slytherin house.

"Sir?" Salazar turned and saw that she was stood up being stared at by all of the rest of the school who were amazed at her disregard for social rules on how women should behave.

"Yes Neala?" Salazar said, referring to Neala Kane.

"Will you be teaching us those spells?" Salazar smirked at her.

"Of course. Enjoy your day. Oh! And Neala? You are to be admired for your courage and intelligence." Neala smirked at him and sat down resuming her meal. Salazar turned and left.

Helga's class was very insightful. Salazar thoroughly enjoyed himself and, as a result, made Helga promise to teach him more of them on the weekend or when ever Helga and he were free. He hadn't managed to get Helga to agree to change the school menu yet, she seemed to believe that it wasn't her place to dictate what everyone else was to eat. Salazar figured if he couldn't change her mind on what should be her place and what shouldn't then he'd at least order her to teach him so that he could change the menu because he had the right to dictate what others should do. Sometimes the gender discrimination could work to his advantage.

He turned his gaze to the class and smiled at them as they stopped at the edge of the forbidden forest. Sending a quick and short whistle into the forest Salazar began his class.

"Right. Who here knows of unicorns?" He had managed to condition his class not to shout out their answers and wait patiently with their hand in the air in order for him to know they knew the answer. Quite a few hands in the class went into the air and Salazar smiled. "Wonderful. Now, who can tell me a little bit about them? Yes Brigitta?"

"Please sir," She began lowering her head slightly even as she spoke, "they are pure creatures."

"Quite right, they are pure. In fact, because they are pure they don't like impure beings near them. For example, Dartagnan your potions professor would not be able to go near a unicorn because he is not pure. Godric, I highly doubt would be able to come close to a unicorn. If you ever doubt somebody's purity, whether they are evil or not for example, seek out a unicorn. Though it is a very bad test because unicorns don't like males very much. Now, when I was mentioning purity I would just like to point out that whether you are a virgin or not makes very little difference. Unicorns are very good judges of characters, they cannot actually tell whether you have had sex or not. Now, who can tell me what unicorns eat before I introduce you to some unicorns?"

The class continued quickly and by the time Salazar had introduced the three unicorns that had come out of the forest to greet the class Salazar had pushed any misconceptions about unicorns out of his class's minds. He'd told them that unicorn blood is toxic and while it could bring you back from deaths door the price was too high to risk it. He'd told them what somebody wise had told him, that anyone who drank unicorn blood and slain a unicorn would have a half life and a cursed life. He'd made sure it was hammered into his class's heads that only the purest evil would even consider slaying such wonderful creatures and that only the Devil himself would be evil enough to drink the blood.

Salazar hadn't been surprised when the three unicorns would only allow the girls in the class to come really close and touch them. Sal also hadn't been surprised that all the boys were jealous. He was, however, surprised that one of his students asked why the unicorns allowed Salazar himself to touch them. The question had startled him at first, after all with his connection to Voldemort and the taint that brought to him he shouldn't have even been allowed near the unicorns. Completely perplexed he had just shrugged and joked at them.

"Maybe they think I am pretty like the girls here." The boys had laughed with him and the girls had all blushed. The unicorns though had made soft snorts and the nearest one bowed its head and put its horn over Salazar's heart before touching its nose to his stomach. Salazar blinked at it suddenly becoming serious.

"Then perhaps I have a pure heart."

Class ended not too long after that and Salazar went straight to his rooms intending to look through his care of magical creatures books and re-go over the chapter on unicorns with a fine tooth comb to find out why they allowed him near them.

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_**End Note: **__Questions and answers will be at the top of the chapters from now on. Sorry it took so long this time (engranatenroses has had exams and been sorting out her new courses). Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, we hope all your questions so far were answered in this chapter, keep those reviews coming! Next chapter should be out soon._

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	8. Hands on Wands

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_**Standard Disclaimers Apply**_

_**Pairing**__: HP/OC also HP/DM later_

_**Summary**__: HP/OC, HP/DM The shock of a sudden change in appearance tears a hole in the fabric of time, sending Harry back to 998 A.D. Upon discovering only 3 of the 4 Founders, Harry accidentally takes on the role of the 4th Founder._

_**Warning**__: Creature Harry, Time travel, eventual Slash and Mpreg, _

_**Note**__: Dual-author fic._

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**The Founder**

**Chapter 7 - Hands On Wands**

_By gemroses_

Salazar sighed and patiently waited out the whispered complaints, the annoying pleading looks and the begs from the girls he was trying to teach. They'd been complaining since he'd told them of their new topic. They hadn't complained nearly as much when he'd first introduced them using spells for duels, however that may have had something to do with how they had learnt defensive spells first.

"Are you quite finished?" Salazar asked them when they'd quietened down a little. The girls stared dumbly at him so Salazar took their silence as an affirmative. "Wonderful, now then, we shall start off with simple hexes etcetera…"

"Etcetera? What does that spell do sir?" Neara Kane asked, and again Salazar mentally applauded her for her boldness.

"Etcetera means and so on and so forth. It is a word yes but it is not a spell." Salazar explained.

"Oh." The girls nodded their heads in understanding.

"Now, we shall start with simple hexes and jinxes and yes we will cover the body bind spell and no, it is not a hard spell to master. First however, we shall practise the levitating charm."

"That's not a jinx sir, that's a charm." Salazar nodded to the girl who said that.

"Good girl for speaking your mind and yes you are quite correct. It isn't a duelling spell. However, a friend of mine once defeated a troll, it was not a cleaver troll, using this spell when he was only eleven. He levitated the troll's club and it flew into the air before it fell on the troll's head knocking him unconscious and thus he saved me and by truest friend Hermione, who as you all know was a girl."

"He really did that?!" Salazar smiled at the girls who looked awed and nodded.

"Yes he did. Now, I brought rocks for you to practise the charm with!" Salazar grinned and pulled handfuls of rocks out of his pockets. He placed them on the floor in a line and made the girls stand next to one. "Brilliant, now you all remember the incantation? Super. Only raise your rock to eye level. Ready? Begin!"

Salazar busied himself for the first ten minutes of class just correcting the girl's wrist movements and pronunciation until all of them got the spell correct. Once done, he pointed his wand at each rock and made them bigger and then made the girls repeat the exercise.

"Brilliant, well done. You all managed it congratulations. Oh! And just so you know, that spell will work regardless of how big the objects are. Heck, you can even levitate a person." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Neala get a cheeky grin on her face. Quickly he figured out the glint in her eye. "Neala if you use that spell on me I will hex you from here to kingdom come!"

"Where's that sir?"

"It's a metaphor…" Salazar trailed off knowing the class wouldn't know that word either. He sighed. "Never mind. But if you use it on me then I will personally make your lives a living hell!"

"Very well sir." All the girls bowed their heads and Salazar sighed in exasperation. Apparently joking with him only went so far.

"Brilliant. Now then. Another spell that isn't particularly defensive or offensive is the summoning charm."

"Why would you use one of those in a battle sir?"

"Well what easier way is there to disarm an opponent? The pronunciation is 'Accio' and you just point your stone at the thing you want to summon. For example. Accio Neala Kane's wand." Salazar quickly caught the wand flying towards him and then twiddled it with a cheeky look at Neala who was not happy about being wandless. "See? And thus your opponent is disarmed and you have the advantage. Now then, into pairs and one at a time you are going to summon each other's wands. Think carefully on what it is you want to summon and keep concentrating as you say the incantation. Neala, catch!"

"Thank you sir." Neala quipped before turning to her partner Elisbeth.

After a while of practising that Salazar decided he'd teach them the Expelliarmus charm. Midway through practise, when none of the girls were getting the pronunciation right Salazar spied Godric standing by the door.

"And how can I help you Godric?" The class froze what they were doing and all the girls quickly bowed their heads and clasped their hands before them, except a few scattered through the room. Salazar resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"It is a waste of time to teach girls and women how to fight Salazar. It is unbecoming for them to even try. It is a pointless agenda. Women are meant for the home, men are meant for the battlefield."

"And I completely disagree with you."

"They are useless fighters anyway. Mark my words, those girls will never be able to win any match."

"And you mark my words Godric. It is my ambition that all women and girls in Wizarding society become equal to their male counterparts. And believe me when I say that these girls, with practise, will probably best anyone in your class in a duel."

"Your ambition is as far away as the stars are. You are doomed to failure and I will not be around this folly." Godric turned to leave and Salazar turned away from him giving a look at the girls in his class that clearly told them not to believe a word out of Godric's mouth.

"Right then, begin again please!" Salazar watched the girls raise their wands again and face their partners. As he looked around the room he noticed that Neala was blushing fiercely. He frowned and looked over his shoulder. There was Godric and his eyes were clearly fixed onto Neala. Salazar narrowed his eyes.

"I thought you were leaving Godric. Usually that implies you walking away from this room not standing in the doorway and ogling my students like a perverted old man." Godric didn't even get time to dignify that with a response for Salazar raised his wand and banished him from the room. By the sounds of things Salazar hadn't banished him that far away for his enraged voice could be heard down the corridors.

Salazar stormed through the corridors towards the room he'd be teaching the boys in. He was in a foul mood. Helga had been driving him absolutely insane! She seemed to be of the mind that because she was soon to be happily married that Salazar and Godric should find themselves wives too and settle down. Godric had immediately thrown off her pestering by claiming he was in pursuit of a woman at the moment. Thus Salazar had born the brunt of Helga's babbling.

First he had to endure her endless talking about the guest lists then the food followed by three very detailed descriptions about her wonderful black wedding dress. Salazar had made a rather foolish comment about thinking that brides were meant to wear white that had earned him an ear lashing. Apparently you only wore white to funerals for it was the colour of death whereas black was the colour of virgins.

Salazar made a very quick mental note to change the main colour of his attire and prompt Dartagnan to as well. He decided he'd go out and purchase some clothes in emerald greens and silvers, anything so that his clothes didn't advertise his virginity.

Following the ear lashing Salazar had been made to put up with Helga recommending several women to him. She said they were of noble birth, and born to very magical families. She also stated that many of them had heard of him and were looking forwards to meeting him at Helga's wedding. Helga, apparently, was dead set on the idea of him marrying soon and had convinced herself that her friends were perfect for him and that he merely had to chose.

He should marry, she had said. He wouldn't be happy should he live and die unloved and unmarried. Salazar had informed her he had no intention of marrying anyone soon because he was too young, yet she seemed inclined to think that those as young as fourteen were old enough to marry and that she'd already convinced three members of her house to find a significant other and arrange their own marriages. No matter what Salazar said though, no matter how angry he got and no matter how wild his magic became, she would not change her belief that he needed to get married.

"All of you find a partner, stand opposite each other and draw your wands!" Salazar yelled as soon as he'd slammed the door shut behind him. All the boys in the room quickly snapped to attention and did as Salazar had instructed. Salazar stalked to the front of the room and onto the very slightly raised platform there. As he walked he briefly wondered whether this was how Professor Snape felt with his classes, powerful as everyone did immediately as he said. Did he feel powerful when all his students snapped quickly to do as he'd ordered? Probably, he was sadistic like that.

"Today we are moving onto defensive spells. The first one we shall practise is the Protego, the shield charm. It is pronounced pro-TAY-go. Make sure your voice is strong and firm as usual. Now, you are each going to take it in turns to practise this spell while your partner casts jinxes at you. Only minor jinxes, nothing major. If anyone gets hurt the person who did it will find themselves seriously regretting it. Now…"

"I don't really see the point in this sir." Salazar gritted his teeth as Prince Usbeorn spoke. "With all those other spells you taught us, what need would we have to defend ourselves? We are far better equipped than any enemy we would face, they would never be able to defeat us!"

"Unless of course your enemy was also taught by me in which case they will also know all those spells and thus you will be at a disadvantage because _they _would have learnt their defensive spells and you never did this they would win. Now, shut up and get on with it. Repeat after me everybody! Pro-TAY-go!"

Salazar stood next to the window watching as the moon cast pale light over the trees of the forest, how the light shone and reflected off the lake and how the air seemed so still. He had never really appreciated the views before. Sure it was nice to look down from his dormitory window and look at the Quidditch field, see whether it had snowed or not and see whether anyone was around on the grounds but never before had he really and truly appreciated nature around him. He'd blame it on the nymphs of course for his sudden enjoyment in the natural world but for now he was quite happy just watching it. Besides, watching it gave him a certain distraction from Helga's babblings.

"Helga, I do believe that is quite enough." Salazar turned his head from the window and saw that Rowena was glaring at her companion. Helga seemed quite taken aback by the obvious anger in Rowena's eyes. "You have spoken non-stop since sundown and I for one have had enough. It is obvious that Salazar is completely uninterested in your plans to set him up with a young girl and I have had enough of your nagging of the subject."

"Aye, I find myself in agreement." Dartagnan raised his goblet of drink in toast to what Rowena said and inclined his head to her. Salazar wondered whether he was the only one who noticed the way Rowena's blue eyes pinned on Dartagnan before her cheeks flushed ever so slightly. It was barely noticeable of course but still there. "My charge has never confessed a wish to marry and should he wish to engage himself then it is assured he would seek my council. However, Salazar is rather busy at the moment and I fear his ambitions have no room for marriage in them."

"But surely Dartagnan you agree with me when I say that a man should have a wife! You are married so you should know the advantages having a wife gives one." Dartagnan offered her a smirk making sure to keep his fangs hidden for once.

"My dear Lady Hufflepuff I am a widower and my wife is long since dead. That as the case is though I can only think of two reasons why having a wife is so advantageous. The first is of course the heir to your name and power. I never bred an heir and Salazar has filled all my requirements of what an heir should be like. As for Salazar having an heir, he has plenty of life left in which to attain one and besides which, he obviously has no interest in having a child." Salazar was feeling vaguely nauseous at the very thought of having a child. He was only sixteen, though close approaching seventeen. He was far too young to have a child and while sex was an interesting idea there was no way he was even going to attempt it for that would mean he had to be married.

"The second advantage is of course companionship. I have no need for that as I have Salazar, Lady Ravenclaw, yourself Lady Hufflepuff and Lord Gryffindor. Salazar also has your delightful company so what need does he have for a wife."

Helga seemed at a loss for words at this point and just stared at Dartagnan before she closed her mouth and seemed to swell slightly with self righteousness.

"Then you are also in need of a wife, Sir. It is not proper for a man of your standing to be unmarried and residing in a castle full of young girls. Both you and Salazar must be married and since you will not search yourselves I find it my obligation to find you suitable matches."

"URGH! You are so infuriating woman! Are you deaf as well as ignorant? I have no wish to marry. When I want to marry I shall find someone I deem worthy and I shall certainly not seek your council." Salazar stood knocking his chair over backwards where it made an awful crash as it hit the stone floor. With one final angry glare he stalked out of the room completely aware of how his magic threw open all the doors in his path.

Needing to be anywhere but in the castle, where there were reminders of Helga everywhere, Salazar stomped down to the Entrance Hall and out into the grounds. Images of Hagrid's hut came to mind and some of his anger abated slightly. With the other members of the trio having turned on him Harry was on autopilot. He headed towards the giant's hut hoping Hagrid would have time for him and, if not, he could play with Fang.

He ran down the hill in a partial daze, his legs automatically speeding up to maintain his body's balance. At the bottom of the hill his eyes caught site of the edge of the forbidden forest and surrounding that all that met him was bare grass land. His mind was viciously ripped from his memories. Visions of Hagrid and Fang dissipated like leaves in a hurricane.

Cold swept through his form as he stared brokenly at the bare ground. No Hagrid. No hut, no Fang, no Hermione, no Ron. There was just the empty land of 998 AD.

Loneliness caught him sharply tearing at his heart. The cold that had raced through his body seeped into every muscle freezing them even as a feeling of being weightless came over him.

"Sir?" Salazar's head snapped to the direction the voice came from. There was a young lad standing to his right looking at him with worry. His yellow robes gave him away to be a Hufflepuff student and Salazar's mind provided that while daring was a strange trait, the kindness and worry the youth displayed suited the values of Helga's house.

"I'm alright. Sorry. Did you want something?" The youth shook his head in a negative.

"No sir, it's just you looked rather pale and I was wondering about your health." Salazar nodded and sighed.

"Thank you for your concern but I'm fine. I was just lost in memories."

"Very well sir. I'd best be getting back to the castle. Afternoon lessons start soon."

"Oh yeah, lessons. Damn I'd forgotten about that! Thanks for reminding me. Have a wonderful afternoon." Salazar turned and, disregarding politeness and etiquette, jogged up to the castle. His depression had seeped all the anger out of him so he was feeling a lot calmer and when he nearly bumped into Helga in the corridor he was capable of completely ignoring her.

Salazar grinned in his excitement. The day had finally come when his girls would fight his boys and they'd prove to themselves that girls could be as good as or, as the case may be, better than their male counterparts. Things were going a little differently to how he'd imagined it though and now they were situated in the great hall with a duelling platform ready for the duels to take place. The entire school would be watching.

"Are you ready everyone?" Salazar asked his class as they all stood around either end of the duelling platform. The girls were crowded around the left end of the platform while the boys were around the right. Rowena, Helga, Godric and Dartagnan were with the students seated where they could see all of the platform easily.

"Of course sir." The boy's answer came. Salazar turned to the girls and noticed that they were all whispering hurriedly in their nervous states.

"Girls?" No reply again but all the girls did turn to look at Salazar. He offered them a smile. "Are you ready? Can we start now?"

"Yes." Came their meek answer.

"Hah!" Godric's laugh boomed out and Salazar landed his bright green eyes on the smug Lord.

"Something you'd like to share with the class, Godric?" He asked raising one eyebrow.

"If I have told you once I have told you a hundred times and this just proves my point." Godric pointed over to the girls. "Girls are not made to fight."

"We've started the duel already?" Salazar faked astonishment. "Dear me, I thought we were still debating whether we were prepared or not. How could I have been so foolish to have missed the very important first battle of the day?! Oh woe me!" Salazar put a hand on his forehead and struck a dramatic pose earning him some giggles from the girls and some smirks from the boys. Godric flushed an angry red that somewhat clashed with his clothes.

"Now see here Salazar…"

"Right! Seriously people. Who is going first?" Salazar chirped over Godric's voice. Nobody moved. "What? No volunteers?!"

"How about we let his majesty the Prince decide since his rank is above our stations and it is his people who will be duelling." Salazar shrugged and looked at the Prince who was inspecting his robes.

"Come on then Usbeorn, who shall duel first?"

"I suppose I shall duel first." The Prince strode onto the platform and stood at one end practically radiating confidence.

"Ah! That is just what we like to see in our leaders!" Godric clapped and they all turned their gaze to the girls. The Prince cast his eyes over them and all the girls hurried into a low curtsy, their nerves overriding Salazar's rule of no rank. All the girls curtsied but one. Neara Kane stood with a bored look on her face. Her eyes pinned on the Prince obviously unimpressed with his superiority and her stance, with her arms crossed over her chest, showed her open defiance. Salazar barely withheld a proud smile.

"You!" The Prince raised a hand to point at the girl. Salazar idly wondered whether he should point out that pointing is rude. "I'll duel you and prove that you should know your place; in the home and off the battlefield."

Neala ascended the duelling platform and took up a stance opposite the Prince. She drew her wand and held it poised ready. Her eyes briefly flicked over to Salazar and smirked at the grin he gave her. The power just one look at Salazar gave her was enough to assure her that the battle was already won.

"On three!" Salazar said loudly. "One!" The Prince took up his own stance. He bent his legs and set himself in a pose that would be more suited to a sword fight. He was facing his opponent with his legs set apart to offer him more balance. He held his wand before him and gripped it hard.

"Two!" Neala changed her stance so she stood side on to her opponent making herself a smaller target by presenting less of her body to the Prince. Her legs were apart and bent at the knee and she had a loose grip on her wand with her wrist slightly relaxed so she'd have the flexibility there to make the correct wand movements. Her lips moved ready to announce her first spell.

"THREE!" The Prince immediately yelled his spell, one to disarm his opponent but Neala raised a shield that deflected the spell. Salazar was slightly shocked however that Neala didn't return the spell. She did however exploit the opening the Prince gave her and fired off two spells in quick succession. The first was a stinging hex and the second was a spell that made the victim speak with a high pitched voice. The Prince gave an undignified squeak from the stinging and sounded like a 2year old girl.

Salazar frowned as Neala continued to cast jinxes at the Prince who finally started using the shielding spells Salazar taught them. That was when curses started flying back and forth quite quickly. Neala, however, stopped using her shield spell and took to dodging gracefully using one step in either direction to avoid the spell. Salazar could see that the Prince was loosing his temper and Salazar was getting annoyed at Neala for dragging the duel out. Still, he supposed she had a reason too.

"Kneel!" Neala commanded with her wand pointed at Prince Usbeorn. Salazar blinked as a memory of Voldemort commanding him to bow assaulted him. That command had forced him to bow just as Neala's command was making the Prince kneel.

"Accio Usbeorn's wand!" Neala finally spelled and the wand sped from the Prince's hand into Neala's who took one look at it and dropped it on the floor making a show of wiping her hand clean on her robe.

"I think I won, Sir." Neala pointed out turning to Salazar. Salazar sighed before offering her a smile.

"Yes you did and I'm impressed with your ability to remember all the spells I taught you. Well done to you too Usbeorn, good spell use though you should have used the shielding spells earlier and we have to work on your duelling stance. Neala, next time you are duelling someone though try not to play with them. Just win the duel as quickly as you can. So, one nil to the girls!"

The girls cheered and Neala walked over to them and was embraced into a hug quickly. Godric, Salazar noticed was gaping slightly. Rowena was looking proud and approving, a look that was shared by Dartagnan who was smirking as well. Helga was wide eyed and her eyes were blank. Salazar briefly wondered whether he'd caused her to short circuit but quickly dismissed those thoughts as they were distracting. Prince Usbeorn walked defeated off the platform.

"Remember, one of the biggest rules of duelling. Never underestimate your opponent. Now, who's duelling next?"

Salazar flopped onto his bed that evening with a grin of satisfaction. The duels had lasted all day and had been a thoroughly enjoyable event. The whole school had enjoyed it, except for Helga and Godric. In fact, Godric was positively fuming by the end of the day and was 50galleons less wealthy. Everyone in Salazar's class who had won their duel had received an equal share of Salazar's winnings. When Neala had received her reward she had given Salazar a smile. That girl was exactly the type of girl Salazar had always wanted as a sister.

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_**End Note: **__No questions and answers today. It seems like there were no loose ends in the last chapter. Only got 15 reviews anyway, hope you guys like this chapter more than you did the last! Both chapters 8 and 9 are half finished so it shouldn't be too lo0ng before they are out. Reviews inspire us so the more reviews we get, the faster the next chapter comes out._

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